Reap What you Sow
by Artful Lounger
Summary: An off-shoot of MistressWinowyll's story 'Get What you Wanted'. A bit darker, a bit less forgiving. After being betrayed by the one he held closest to his heart, Tsukune enters the realm of Monsters that he so desperately avoided before.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone and welcome to what will hopefully become my first successful Rosario Vampire story 'Reap What you Sow'.

Let me state, first and foremost, that this story has a bit of pre-reading to it that you all will most likely want to read beforehand in order to understand everything. This story is essentially a spin-off of MistressWinowyll's story 'Get What you Wanted' and Darkswordmage's story 'Get What you Deserve'. Both of these stories can be found on MistressWinowyll's page, and thanks go to her for her approval and slight assistance with this work. You are really going to want to read those stories or else some of the characters and a good number of the events will be unfamiliar. Especially considering that the plot-line doesn't exactly follow canon. So please don't ask me about non-canon events mentioned or any characters that don't appear in canon showing up in this story.

Several people have attempted something like this already, but as of yet nobody but Lord of the Land of Fire has made a story like this one that's actually decent. I aim to correct that deficiency in my own little way.

To try and give some kind of summarized backstory for this, at this time Moka and Tsukune are married, Tsukune has been accepted by Akashiya Issa (Moka's father) as his son and the pair of them are in the process of living happily ever after.

At least, until the issue of children comes up, that's when things started falling apart. With that said, we dive into this series of events _in medias res_.

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Aono Household, Osaka, Japan

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Tsukune sat down in the hallway with his back against the wall. He couldn't help but think over the last few weeks, looking over the slippery slope that led to where he was now, where they were now. It all started with that which any man holds more precious than anything. What all women cherished more than anything. The most precious things in the world to those who have them.

It all started with a discussion about children.

Tsukune understood, or thought he understood, why Moka decided to isolate their children from humanity. She had not had an enjoyable time amongst them. She feared what would happen to them if they were left in that same civilized wilderness, alone and vulnerable, constrained by rules that they didn't understand. Moka, both Mokas, absolutely refused to allow their children to be left so vulnerable to that same harm. She wanted them to be safe from a wretched humanity. She didn't want her sons and daughters to be targeted by those who found strength in numbers and joy in targeting those different than they. Moka had said it the very first day they met. 'I despise humans.'

Even those humans that had created and raised the man she loved.

Tsukune could not understand why Moka was so adamant about not letting their children meet his own family. Why would she deny his parents the joy of seeing their first grandchildren? Or deny Kyouko the opportunity to meet her little niece or nephew? Tsukune knew that humans could be cruel, but not all humans were as horrible as Moka painted them to be.

The argument started small, but eventually everything eventually made its way toward that poisonous topic of conversation. Then they would argue. Tsukune would be tactful, would try to be understanding, would try to find compromise. But Moka was ever stubborn, she had her pride and she would never give an inch on anything. She didn't ask, she didn't compromise, she demanded, she commanded, and was astonished when, for the first time, Tsukune didn't give in.

Moka and Tsukune were at an impasse, and nothing either of them did or said would change the other's mind. Tsukune was adamant of allowing his children to meet the family that raised him. Moka was just as adamant about keeping her children safe from the horrors of humanity. But neither would give an inch. And that amazed Moka. That Tsukune would actually stand his ground, stare her in the eye and deny her what was obviously the best way to raise their children. No matter how she tried to argue the point, she would always come up with the same answer, and Tsukune gave no indication that he was willing to change his mind.

If there was one thing that Akashiya Moka absolutely was _not_, it was patient. Before Moka left for the world of humans, she was Akashiya Issa's precious little girl, what she wanted she almost inevitably got. And Tsukune was similar in a way. He was determined to make her happy. So Moka decided that if Tsukune would not back down by normal means then she would have to go further.

It was Inner Moka that came up with the idea to get what she wanted. The Outer was against it, mostly. She didn't think that they needed to go _that_ far. But while Tsukune proved capable of standing up to Moka's true personality and holding his ground, the soft-hearted Outer Moka was not so resilient. So Outer Moka went along with the idea. And upon further prodding, she agreed to be the one to say the words, to let Tsukune know how serious this was to them and how far they were willing to go if they had to.

Tsukune was still unable to get that image out of his head. The memory of those spoken words haunted him even as he sat there surrounded by sounds even more haunting. The look in her eyes, the faint anger in that normally peaceful voice that seemed, to him, as close to that of an angel anyone could possibly reach. But that soft voice spoke daggers and dripped poison when she spoke those words, enunciated that fell promise which led to this night, where everything became irrevocable, the die cast, and fates decided.

He could not forget, and would never forget the moment when Outer Moka spoke those words, tinged in anger and frustration that spoke volumes considering who was saying it. 'You will change your mind, Tsukune or I will have someone else give me children that I can raise as I see fit.'

That was the hammer blow, the sentence that struck him like a mallet between the eyes. Moka intended for that sentence to have such an effect, Tsukune would realize how serious they were and would then give in. He would apologize, admit she was right, and everything would go back to how things were before, how they were meant to be.

Instead, the threat had the opposite effect. She intended for his will to crumble, but instead it became harder than steel. Before his determination to thwart her was unconquerable. Now it was completely unshakeable. Inner Moka decided that Tsukune thought it was a bluff. How else could he react that way? So she had to show him that it was not a bluff, that she was not issuing some idle threat.

That was when Moka called the one person that she knew, they both knew, would happily do as Moka asked and simultaneously cause Tsukune the most pain. That morning Outer Moka woke up and, at the urging of the Inner, dialed the phone number of one Morioka Ginei, and an appointment was made that night at the Aono home address.

Moka gave Tsukune her ultimatum, gave him one last chance to give in. And both Inner and Outer Moka were stunned when Tsukune stood by what he always said, that his children would be raised knowing his own parents, that they would know his family.

And so Moka gave a teary eyed look back while Gin gave a shining smile as the bedroom door closed. The Inner Moka still could not believe that Tsukune still thought it was a bluff. But surely he would stop this before it went any further?

But Tsukune was still sitting there in the hallway, doing his best to numb the pain in his chest as he heard the bed springs scream, as he heard skin meeting skin and heard those tantalizingly familiar, soft, passionate cries. Those soft little sounds that he had taken such pleasure in forcing her to make before. But now it was someone else making her cry and moan. And the knowledge of what was happening in that room drove daggers of ice into his heart. And so did the knowledge of what it meant.

Moka did not realize it yet, but the moment she let someone else take her like her Mate and Husband did, she forever severed the bond that they had shared for years. He was no longer hers, she was no longer his. Tsukune struggled hard and managed to restrain the tears when he realized that things could not be repaired. And the pain in his chest grew worse and worse as those frigid blades plunged ever deeper.

Then, as frozen blades would numb their own pain, the agony Tsukune felt in his heart also chilled and receded. It hurt, but it was now a dull ever-present ache rather than searing pain. And it was in that frigid, numbing agony that Tsukune managed to let himself let go of what he fought so hard for, for so long.

It was around then that the cacophony of tortured furniture, bestial grunts, and heart-jerking sighs finally slowed and finally ceased. Tsukune could hear the deep, ragged breathing and finally heard that dog ask "Do you think he's still out there?"

Tsukune couldn't hear her reply, didn't want to hear what she said. But he heard as someone got up and walked toward the bedroom door. Tsukune stood up as well. As a Vampire, or as a human, as a man there was only one possible reply to what had happened here.

Gin opened the door and looked down at Tsukune, that same grin from their Youkai Academy days on his face as he glanced back, unashamed of his nudity as he said "Yeah, he's still here. I didn't know he was the type that liked to watch and listen."

Moka covered herself in the sheets, concealing herself from Tsukune's eyes as though he was a stranger. While she did that, Gin turned back and faced his former friend. With that same grin on his face he asked "So Tsukune, did you enjoy the show?"

The Werewolf's grin disappeared when he heard that soft 'click' as Tsukune's Rosario popped off the bracelet on his wrist. His hands moved to cover his head as he felt the burning rage and saw a blur of silver hair and bright red eyes come at him. That was when he felt Tsukune's fist strike his side and heard the wet snap of bone. Then Tsukune's other fist planted itself in Gin's jaw and slammed the Werewolf's head into the wall.

Tsukune looked down at the man he once called Sempai as he slid bonelessly to the floor, some of his blood smearing on the wall from where his fractured jaw broke the skin. As he looked at the misery he wrought upon someone he once called a friend, Tsukune could not help but think 'this isn't enough.' The frigid rage that roared through Tsukune's veins demanded retribution. This wasn't enough, not by half! He couldn't imagine what would be fitting punishment for this beast. He wanted to set him on fire and laugh at his torment, then roll in Gin's ashes as they cooled, bite into Gin's flesh and spit his own putrid flesh into his eyes as he screamed in torment! Peel the skin from his body and cover him in salt! Torment him and drink in his pain for _daring_ to think that he was his equal, his better! Teach that mongrel his place in this world under his heel!

What scared Tsukune, even in his overwhelming wrath, was just how much he would like to make every one of those little ideas come true. And that joy both frightened and disgusted him. And that fear and disgust helped sap the rage roaring through his veins demanding action. Tsukune settled for giving Gin one more vicious kick in the ribs before forward.

During all of this, Moka could not help but sit there terrified at what she saw. 'I-is that really Tsukune? I've never seen him like this, he's never felt like this before, ever. Even when Ria tormented him he never got this angry. I-is he going to kill us? What do we do if he tries? We went too far, we went too far, !'

The voice of Inner Moka sounded through Outer Moka's mind. **He will not try to harm us, he loves us. Now that he has shown Gin his place he will apologize to us for forcing us to do this. Everything is finally over, relax. Now release me.**

Outer Moka was still too panicked to hear her, but Inner Moka tried. **Release me! Tsukune is going to apologize for his stubbornness and I want to be the one in control when he does. Now take off the Rosario!**

But much to the shock and surprise of both Mokas, Tsukune didn't even glance at her as she sat there on the bed. He entered the bedroom only slightly, stopping as his nose crinkled at the smell. Then he bent down and retrieved the silver Rosario from where it lay on the bedroom floor. With the crucifix in hand, he returned it to his wrist and, in human guise once more, turned around and started walking toward the stairs. Not once did he even glance at Akashiya Moka.

Ignoring the voice in her mind demanding release, Outer Moka scrambled up and donned a nightgown before dashing after Tsukune down the stairs.

Moka had just reached the bottom of the steps when she saw Tsukune by the kitchen counter focused on doing something with his hands. Then he turned slightly and she saw what he was doing. He was trying to pry the wedding ring off of his finger, violently pulling on it in a mindless effort to remove it from his person. It brought back what was once a fond memory. Tsukune once told her he deliberately bought a ring slightly too small for him, wanting to make sure the band of metal would never accidentally leave his finger.

It came back to bite him now as Tsukune finally tugged the ring off of his now bruised and aching digit. With a slight 'huff' of breath he carelessly dropped the circlet of gold to the floor as he would drop a rock picked up out of curiosity.

The pink haired vampire realized at that moment just what was going through Tsukune's head. 'He's leaving us!'

**Let me out! NOW!**

But the pleas and demands of her Inner self went unremarked as the pink haired Moka saw Tsukune's hand touch the door. Finally, she managed to find her voice as he started to open it. "Tsukune"

It was just a word, but it was enough to make Tsukune turn his head. Moka tried hard not to flinch as he looked at her but failed. Such naked _contempt_ he looked upon her with. It was not anger, anger she could understand, anger she could try and work past with him. But he did not look at her with anger, but with disgust. He looked upon her like he would look at some hideous thing that he wouldn't want to touch with his bare hands.

Before she could even say anything else, Tsukune turned back to face the door and his words reached her ears. At first she didn't recognize his voice for what it was, so strangled with barely suppressed emotion. Pain, anger, sadness, she heard them all in his voice as he spoke to her a single sentence. "We worked so hard for what we had, and you threw it away, sacrificing it on an altar to your own selfish pride."

"That's not true! Tsukune!"

She raced forward and tried to console him, tried to apologize, but before she could say anything he shuddered at her touch and threw her back. Flat on her behind in the living room Tsukune looked down upon her. _Now_ the anger was there, first and foremost.

He shouted at her two words which stunned her to the core, words that filled her with icy fear and leaden guilt. Two words that made clear to her, even to the Inner Moka, somewhat, just how big of a mistake she made, that they made. And with those two words Tsukune stormed out the door into the cold night.

Tsukune shouted those words at her with all the fury she had seen in her father when someone truly angered him.

Tsukune shouted at her "**DIE ALONE!**"

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A bit short, not exactly what anyone would call sweet, but there it is. Honestly, I have a good feeling about this one. I haven't felt this good writing a chapter in a long, long time.

Review and let me know what you all think, and I'll see you in the next chapter, where we see the aftermath of these rather explosive events.

Until the next update,

Artful Lounger


	2. Chapter 2

Welcome one and all to chapter two of Reap What you Sow. Now I know that some of you are going to be wondering about backstory around now, and a lot more of you will probably be in the same boat after this chapter. For those of you that do not have the foggiest as to what's going on, I recommend reading the Great Vampire Aono by Lord of the Land of Fire, and The Bet by MistressWinowyll. With that said, lights, camera, action!

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Park near the Aono home, Osaka, Japan

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After a while, the cold night air cleared Tsukune's head and he finally sat down to think about where he was actually going to go. The original plan of 'get as far away from her as fast as possible' didn't exactly have much forethought put into it. Given the circumstances, there was only one possible answer. Where does anybody want to go when something bad happens? They want to go home. 'There's no way I'm calling THAT place home ever again.' Tsukune thought to himself bitterly. So that left only one place, the home of the ones who welcomed him into their family. Castle Akashiya. 'There's no other place where I can be free of her.'

Tsukune searched through his pockets, finally finding his phone and flipping it open. It only took a moment's concentration to recall the number he thought he'd never have to use, never wanted to use. But since he didn't know how to contact Lord Akashiya directly, or how to contact Kahlua, who was the only other person who could possibly help him, there was only one choice.

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Castle Akashiya

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Sekiten Ria, Moka's elder sister, was in something of a good mood. Just about everybody in Castle Akashiya was. After all, when the Lord of the castle was in a good mood, it tended to spread. And Akashiya Issa was absolutely beaming for the last few months. After decades of having to remain quiet and inert after having lost his sword, it was now returned to him and he could actually start acting within the Court, rather than just reacting to the machinations of others.

Ria was positive that this current meeting of the nobility would be nothing less than Father laying down the law and making sure that every one of them knew who was in charge. Without his sword, his capabilities were limited, and he had to be more subtle, patient, and forgiving of transgressions than he would normally be. But now that he had it back, thanks to Tsukune's efforts, he could start getting everything back in shape once again without fear of retaliation from parties with ruffled feathers.

She was in the middle of a meal when her phone rang, and she was a bit surprised by it. She glanced over at the device from where she was pinning a disobedient servant against the wall. 'Now, who could that be? Father wouldn't be calling right now, Kahlua and Kokoa could talk to me face to face, and Tsukune and Moka never call.' She dislodged her fangs from the shuddering young man and he sank to the floor on legs too weak to support him as Ria picked up the phone. 'I hope that it isn't Kahlua making sure she remembered my number again.' Then she looked at who was calling and Ria suddenly got very interested before she answered the call and put the phone to her ear.

"Oh me, oh my, I never thought I'd be getting a phone call from you Tsukune darling. To what do I owe the pleasure?" She listened for a moment as Tsukune asked for a ride to the Castle. 'Now what has happened to him I wonder? I can hear it in his voice, something's wrong. Now how can I turn this to my advantage?'

"Don't worry brother dear, I'll be there in about twenty minutes, just wait where you are." She ended the call and started down the hall without another look back at the servant she left bleeding to death on the floor.

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With Tsukune

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It didn't take as long as she said for the limo to arrive. He glanced up from the bench where he sat as the sleek black vehicle came to a stop and the rear door opened, revealing a rather gorgeous woman inside.

She looked as good as she always did. Smooth pale skin, long black hair, and luscious curves made for an extremely appealing package even beneath that black dress that covered everything. But for all the beauty, for all the fake sweetness in that smile, Tsukune knew that underneath was nothing less than a serpent biding its time.

"Hello brother dear." She purred, every syllable an invitation, every word a silent promise.

"Ria-san" With that single word Tsukune, somewhat shakily, stepped into the limo and sat down as far away from her as he could.

Of course, she took in everything, his stance, his bearing, the look in his eyes. And she managed to guess quite a bit from that information alone. All that was left was confirmation of her suspicions. "So, what brought you to call me brother dear? I doubt my precious little sister would be very happy to find you getting anywhere near me."

Tsukune glanced at her for a moment and, profoundly weary, said "I no longer care what that woman thinks about me. It's over between us."

She arched a delicate eyebrow at that statement. "Oh me, oh my, is the living happily ever after part of the story a little too boring for you? Still feel a need for excitement in your life? Dear me, you've only been together for about five years or so and already having second thoughts? The love of your life not turning out to be as perfect as you thought?"

He glanced over at her "Shut up Ria-san. What happened between us is none of your business. All you need to know is that I want to see Lord Akashiya and have the bond that I share with her destroyed."

Ria fought, she really did, to try and contain her smile. But she failed miserably. "I do believe I feel some hostility in you towards her. Tell me, what did my little sister do to earn _your_ ire brother dear? Last time I spoke to you, you made her sound like sweet Aphrodite made flesh. You wouldn't hear a word against the goddess who commanded your heart."

Tsukune ground his teeth at Ria's constant prodding. 'It hasn't been five minutes since I sat down and already she's trying to get everything out of me.'" What happened between that woman and I is no business of yours Ria-san. And I would appreciate it if you would stop trying to get it out of me."

Ria's smile grew slightly larger at that. 'Easily irritated, defensive, you're making this too easy brother dear. Maybe a bit of shock would shake something loose?'

She sat back in her seat and watched Tsukune for a minute or so as the engine purred and the miles went by. After giving him some time to stew, Ria said "Honestly, you have some good timing calling me now little brother. Father was going to be demanding your presence at the Castle within a few weeks anyway. So it saves some time that you're going to be staying there for now."

Ria watched him carefully for his response. 'He might be shocked and tired, but he can't let that go unquestioned.' She watched as Tsukune's eyes fixed upon her. He didn't say anything, but she knew she had his attention.

"Yes, Lord Camazotz will be making his annual visit to Castle Akashiya next month, and you will have to be there for your official presentation to the Court."

Tsukune was withdrawn, tired, and introspective, but something like that demanded a reply. He speared her with his gaze as he asked, confused "What?"

Ria's face was a textbook picture of surprise, fake or not. "Didn't Moka tell you about any of this? You're the newest member of our family, you have to be there."

He let out a sigh, knowing that she wouldn't give up anything that easily. 'Assuming she isn't lying, it's best to let her get it out of her system.' "Ria-san, what are you talking about? Who is this Lord Camazotz person and why would I have to meet him?"

She stretched a bit, knowing full well that doing so would press the tips of her breasts against the fabric of her dress. Then she lay down upon the long seat of the limo, supporting herself with an elbow as she smiled at Tsukune's face. 'Far too easy.'

"Lord Camazotz is many things. He is one of the twelve Lords of Outer Night, one of the King's inner circle and one of the oldest and most powerful Vampires in the world. He is Father's beholden Lord, in addition to being his, some number of greats, grandfather. Like any other government in the world, every Vampire pays taxes to his superior within the Court. In this case, Lord Akashiya offers annual tribute to Lord Camazotz. Once a year, Lord Camazotz comes to Castle Akashiya to collect this tribute and Father throws a grand feast in His Honor. Every Vampire Noble in Asia will be there."

Ria took a moment to take in Tsukune's surprise before she continued. "A good number of important events happen during this event. Among them is the presentation of new Nobility to the Court. If a Noble has a child, then that child is presented to the Court in order for that child to claim his membership as a Noble of the Court. I was presented, as was Kahlua, and so was Moka. Kokoa isn't quite old enough yet, but she will be presented to the Court as well. Since Lord Akashiya has accepted you as his son, you will be presented as well."

Tsukune thought about this for a moment. 'Everything that happened with Moka, and now I'm going to be paraded before a bunch of Vampires?' "Why? What happens if I decide not to attend?"

Ria couldn't help but smile at Tsukune's naïveté. "If a Noble is not presented to the Court then they cannot claim membership to the Court. It's something of a coming of age ceremony for the Nobility. Until you are presented to the Court, as far as the Court is concerned, you do not exist. Their laws do not protect you, and you are not given any kind of status, nor any kind of right to defend yourself in legal charges. Anybody in the Court could accuse you of anything, and if you are not a member of the Court then you cannot say anything in your defense, the judgment would go to the accuser by default. This is of course assuming that nobody in the Court steps up on your behalf."

She took a breath and continued. "As for not showing up, you don't have that choice Tsukune. Every Noble in Asia has heard of your exploits in retrieving Father's sword from Fafnir. The only reason you weren't presented sooner is because you were Mated to Moka shortly after last year's Feast. Every Noble there will be expecting you to be there, they're going to want to see this new son of Father's who managed to do what he could not. If Father doesn't present you to the Court, there are going to be a lot of questions asked. Everyone already knows about you Tsukune, and it will be on Father's head if you aren't presented. So it will be Father's problem if you decide not to show. He'll present you to the Court if he has to drag you there kicking and screaming. You'll be a proper Vampire at last, whether you like it or not."

Tsukune didn't like that one bit, to say the least. 'I have enough problems with one twisted family, now I have to deal with more of them?' Tsukune sighed, resigned to the fact that he most likely didn't have a choice. Tsukune knew that if Lord Akashiya was in on it then there was a real chance that his human family could be put in danger if Moka's father really thought he had to put pressure on him. "Well, how bad can it be? I'm shown to a bunch of old Vampires I'm told that I'm a man and I sit back down, right?"

Ria's smile got ever wider. They were getting to the part of the conversation she was looking forward to. "Not quite brother dear. You see, this is going to be a feast after all, and what do you think will be present at a Vampire's feast?"

Tsukune waved his hand, not really thinking about it. "Blood? So what? We've had plenty of blood before, that's nothing special."

She was absolutely beaming now. "Do you really think that Father would offer something from a plastic package to the Lords and Ladies of the Court? Offer something like that to Lord Camazotz? That would be a supreme insult. No brother dear, for something like this Father wouldn't dare to offer anything less than the freshest, highest quality blood. Right from the source."

Ria let out a giggle at Tsukune's shocked, wide eyed stare. This was what she was really looking forward to. She almost choked on her laughter as Tsukune said, shocked "No"

"Oh yes dear little brother. Humans will be there, in good number. They will be there for the sole purpose of being fed upon. And you know how things are between humans and Monsters. We couldn't possibly let them return to human society after seeing what they will see. They will be fed upon." She got up and moved closer to him. "They will bleed." Her voice was just a whisper in his ear as she sat down next to him and eased up beside him. "They will be used, we shall drink from them one and all, and…." She leaned close and Tsukune felt her warm, soft lips on his ear as she whispered. "They will die, and you will help. You will be brought before the Court, Lord Akashiya will proclaim you as his son, and you will be presented with human flesh. You will drink until there is no more, until the flesh is cold and lifeless, and you shall be a true member of the Court in everyone's eyes."

"NO!" Tsukune stood up in the limo and backed away from the poisonous woman before him. "I will NOT kill someone just because some fucked up bunch of Vampires says that I have to! I absolutely refuse!"

Ria could not help but smile at the defiance. THIS is what she really wanted to see, how would he cope with this news. "Father won't let you make that choice Tsukune. Everyone will expect him to present you to the Court. If he does not then they will ask questions, Lord Camazotz would be made aware. If he found out that Father had a son but did not present him, Lord Camazotz would take it as an insult, and that's something that Father would never allow to happen. If you refuse, then you insult Father, and he will do everything in his power to make you do it. You still have human family Tsukune, _they_ would be the next ones with their throats torn open by hungry fangs."

Tsukune rushed forward and put his hands around her throat, anger clear and obvious in his eyes. "Don't you dare touch them! I don't care what I have to do to do it but if you touch them I will do everything I possibly can to make sure that you pay!"

Ria only smiled as Tsukune's hands tightened around her throat. "It isn't me that's threatening them Tsukune. It's you. By your inaction and refusal you put them in danger. If you do not go before the Court then Father will make sure you regret it, and he'll make your family suffer too. If you go before the Court and refuse to drink, then they will take that as a sign that you do not have the fortitude to be one of us, and Lord Camazotz would destroy you for not being worthy of the Nobility that you would be trying to claim. Then he would punish Father for bringing an undeserving son before the Court. And then Father would make your family suffer, as an example to others who would defy him. If you want them to survive Tsukune, then you only have one choice. I don't have to do a thing."

Tsukune's jaw clenched so hard he thought he would crack his teeth. But he let go of Ria's throat and fell back into the seat at the back of the limo, stunned, disbelieving, and unsure of what to do. 'I have to kill someone, feed upon them until they die. If I don't, mom, dad, Kyoko, they suffer. If I don't show up, they suffer. I can't protect them from Lord Akashiya, I couldn't hide them from him. What… what am I going to do? I can't hurt someone like that for no reason. I can't.'

Ria looked as Tsukune held his head in his hands, unsure of himself, hating what he was. And Ria knew just what to say to help him along in his little tiff with her little sister. "Every one of us has done this Tsukune. Father, Kahlua, myself, even precious little Moka. Didn't she tell you that? If you are a member of the Vampire Court, then you killed somebody to be there. Never forget that we are a race that feeds upon humans, that we are predators and they are the prey. If you have anybody to blame, blame dear little Moka who decided to turn you in the first place."

She moved over and sat next to Tsukune once more. "Never forget that, little brother. Your dear precious little doll that you fought so hard for is just as guilty as I am for killing those that you so valiantly protect. And soon, you will be too, if you want your family to survive."

Tsukune sat there, and said nothing.

And Ria smiled as she put an arm around his shoulders as they sat in the back of that limousine. Heading toward the place where Tsukune's life was changed forever, and where it would be changed forever once again.

Castle Akashiya

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That's the end of chapter two, review and let me know what you guys all think. Next chapter I'll be showing more of Moka and how she's been holding up during all of this and we'll see how Tsukune's going to be dealing with this latest bit of information.

Until the next chapter,

Artful Lounger


	3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone. Not much to say here really, but it's gotten to be a habit. Read the chapter, and please review at the end because if you guys don't tell me how I'm doing I'll have absolutely no idea how to improve myself. Sorry this chapter took a while longer by the way. The combination of work and some indecision on how to do what I wanted to do in this chapter slowed things down somewhat.

With that said, let's get going! Forward march!

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With Tsukune and Ria, in front of Castle Akashiya

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Ria and Tsukune stepped out of the limo in front of the ancient castle. But as Ria moved ahead to the door, Tsukune looked up at the seemingly dilapidated old fortress, taking in the walls overgrown with moss and ivy, and couldn't help but wonder as to how things could have been if he had just done the smart thing and, when challenged to retrieve that sword from Fafnir, simply ran away. 'The stuff with Moka still would have happened, probably. But I wouldn't have been forced into this situation.' The thoughts of what was going to happen in only a month always came to the fore of his thoughts, no matter how much he tried to focus on other things.

After a moment, he returned his attention to what was immediately in front of him and followed Ria inside.

The interior of the Castle didn't match the exterior at all. Where the outside was overgrown and seemingly not maintained in the slightest, the interior could have been taken out of a high class hotel, everything from the marble floors to the finely polished hardwood to the oil lamps that provided what illumination there was. Everything showed high quality and obvious care taken to maintain them. Tsukune wouldn't have been surprised if the furnishings were placed there more than a century ago, but everything looked like it was only recently put into place.

A pair or servants hurried over to greet the pair of Vampires as they entered their ancestral home. "Greetings Ria-sama, Tsukune-sama." The two maids, in their human forms at least, appeared to be women in their mid twenties. Neither of them rose from their bow, patiently awaiting any kind of order.

Ria didn't lose a moment in giving commands. "You are to prepare a guest room for my dear little brother immediately." Then she paused and looked back at him "Unless of course you would prefer other sleeping arrangements Tsukune? I'm sure that I could find space in my room if you wanted me to." She made the offer without any kind of undertone, looking at her you would think that she was innocently trying to be of help. But Tsukune knew her better than that.

"No thank you, Ria-san. A guest room will be sufficient."

The servants bowed more deeply before rising and doing as they were told, taking Tsukune off into the halls. Leaving Ria alone in the entrance hall watching him go. She couldn't help but give a slight smile at the sight. 'Dear little sister, you won't be getting out of your problems so lightly this time.'

Then she left for her own room, while Tsukune was being led to a guest room where he knew that he would find no rest.

He couldn't possibly sleep with what was on his mind.

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The Next Morning

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Tsukune winced as the morning sunlight shone into his eyes. The bedroom wasn't too large, but it was still richly furnished. Either way, the bed was made for two people and Tsukune couldn't help but note the absence next to him. It was true, what a lot of people said. It was hard to go back to a cold bed after you got used to having a warm one for a while. Tsukune had simply dropped onto the covers when he came in last night, his thoughts haunted by the knowledge Ria had so gleefully given him. He was there, wide awake and staring at the ceiling for hours, his own mind allowing him no rest. After a while he fell asleep for a few minutes only to wake up later. That happened several times throughout the night.

But Tsukune actually looked forward to the coming of morning. It gave him something to do other than lie in a cold bed, engrossed in his own thoughts. Sure, if he really wanted to Ria had made herself available, which would have provided an answer to all of his troubles, for a time. But that thought never even crossed his mind, no matter how uncomfortable he became. Now Tsukune rose from the bed and headed into the castle's hallways, hopeful that he would be able to find something, anything, that he could do. Something to distract himself from the looming deadline.

Tsukune wandered for about ten minutes before he found himself somewhere familiar to him. He hadn't cared where his feet took him, anywhere was better than that room and its silence. Tsukune opened a set of doors on a whim and found himself at the dining room.

It was simple enough room, rectangular and moderately sized with drapes and paintings to cover the uniform stone walls. Lamps upon the walls providing some light, with the aid of a large window which gave a good view of what would, later in the day, be a gorgeous sunset. Dominating the room was a large wooden table in the center of the room, which had places for more than a dozen diners. Currently it was bare, but Tsukune knew that the cooks, who worked in the nearby kitchen, could prepare just about any dish that was ordered of them provided they had the necessary ingredients.

Tsukune wasted no time heading into the kitchens, much to the surprise of those that worked there. Every one of the servants immediately bowed after he entered the room. One of them hurried over a second later. "Greetings Tsukune-sama. My utmost apologies that breakfast is not yet ready, we did not expect you to be awake this early in the morning. Please, tell us what you would like and we shall prepare it immediately."

He just shook his head at the little man "It doesn't matter, anything. I just need something to eat."

The cook bowed again "Immediately sir, please do us the honor of waiting in the dining room, we shall have something ready for you as soon as we can."

Tsukune did so.

He didn't have to wait long before several of the cooks brought out a number of things. Sweet breads, some fruit, anything that could be prepared quickly and easily. Tsukune immediately tore into what they provided, ignoring their questions regarding anything else he wanted. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until the smell of food reached him.

Tsukune planned to eat quickly and then wander around the castle, maybe visiting the game room where he and Ria played Chess before, in an attempt to fill his time until he could speak to Lord Akashiya. The last thing he expected was for someone to actually join him.

So he was rather surprised when Kahlua walked in.

It had been quite a while since he last saw her, but it was impossible to mistake Shuzen Kahlua for anybody else. Although this was the first time Tsukune had ever seen her wearing something other than a gaudy Victorian era dress. This morning she was wearing a nightgown that reached down to the middle of her thighs and not much else. She didn't seem to care though since she walked in like nothing was wrong as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Then she noticed him.

"Tsukune-kun?" He only had a moment to take in the shocked look on her face before she ran up and embraced him. "Tsukune-kun! It's been so long little brother! How have you been? How's Moka?" She went on to list about twenty other questions about his life as she hugged him to herself. Tsukune, however, wasn't paying much attention to the myriad inquiries. He was too busy fighting to get air into his lungs and experiencing flashbacks of this same thing happening almost every day at Youkai Academy. Although Kurumu never pressed his head into her chest when she was only wearing a nightgown with no bra.

Of course, being male, there were only so many ways Tsukune could react to a girl like Kahlua burying his head in her chest. Especially when he actually thought about the situation he was in. And that reaction quickly made itself evident to the girl who was currently babbling questions.

"Oooh" Kahlua let his head out of her breasts as she looked down into his eyes, one arm around his neck as the other hand made its way down his chest. "Tsukune-kun, you're so naughty. Having such unchaste thoughts about your own older sister. Does the thought of incest always turn you on like this or is it just me?"

It may have been five years, but Tsukune was still Tsukune. He quickly became flustered and started to try and come up with some kind of reasonable explanation that didn't contain the words that immediately came to mind such as 'you're gorgeous' and 'I haven't gotten laid for quite some time'.

Kahlua smiled at his spluttered excuses before letting out a childish giggle and sitting down across from him at the table. "Ah, you're funny little brother." She took an apple and took a bite before asking him with an impish grin "So, does your human family know about your little fetish as well? I'm pretty sure that cousin of yours would be interested. Or maybe you prefer your mother?"

"W-what are you talking about! I would never THINK of-"

"Oh my, it IS your mother isn't it!" Kahlua's eyes were wide and excited, clearly enjoying herself. "I never thought you'd be THAT depraved Tsukune, much less that they'd be willing to go along with it. I mean, sure your father had that little escapade with Ria, but I didn't think you'd feel the need to even the score."

"Kahlua-san, stop being ridiculous, I-"

"Hey everyone!" Kahlua almost shouted, as though addressing a massive crowd. "Tsukune's really into incest and enjoys the thought of having sex with his mother, cousin, and older sisters! He's nothing but a massive pervert!"

"Please Kahlua-san, be reasona-"

"PERVERT! PERVERT! TSUKUNE'S A PERVERT!"

"Kahlua-san, stop acting like a-"

"PERVERT! PERVERT!"

"SHUT UP!" Tsukune's fist found the wood of the table, sending a spider web of cracks through the material and a loud 'CRACK' of sound to follow his shouted command.

And Kahlua was silent.

It took about two seconds for Tsukune to start regretting what he did and begin making apologies. "Kahlua-san, I'm sorry, I just-"

He fell silent when he saw tears in Kahlua's eyes. He remembered what he was told about Kahlua when he first met her. Do not make her cry, do whatever you can to make sure she stays in a good mood. Tsukune started to ease the chair back, making sure he had a clear route to the door.

Tsukune still wasn't ready for it when Kahlua lunged over the table in a blur of white cloth and brown skin.

So he wasn't ready to defend himself when Kahlua's open hand struck his cheek and he was hurtled to the floor.

He struggled to make his eyes focus properly and was rewarded by the sight of Kahlua, not rushing towards him but rather heading for the door, much to his surprise. She turned as she got to the door, tears still in her eyes and on her cheeks as she shouted "MEANY!" before running out and slamming the door behind her.

Tsukune sat there for a moment, just staring at the door, trying hard to figure out just what the hell just happened. Then he sighed 'I can't believe I lost my temper.' He got up, picked up his chair and sat back down to resume his breakfast. After a bite or two though, he gave up trying. After the incident with Kahlua he didn't have any appetite. His eyes kept wandering over to the cracks in the table, and his own conscience wouldn't let him put what happened out of mind. He stared at his knuckles, where the small scrapes were rapidly closing themselves 'What the hell is wrong with me?'

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With Moka

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Moka didn't get any sleep all night. After seeing to it that Gin got the medical attention he needed, she waited in the living room for a while, hoping that Tsukune would come back. After it became clear that Tsukune wasn't coming back she tried to sleep, but the smell of what she and Gin did together still lingered in the bedroom. She couldn't ignore it. That smell taunted her, a constant reminder of what she did. She dumped the sheets in the laundry in the hope that the smell would go with them, but no luck.

So she ended up trying to spend the night on the couch. She couldn't manage. The cold leather pressed against her arms, legs, and face, a constant reminder that she was what she most desperately feared.

Alone

Her inner self was no help whatsoever. She was adamant that they wouldn't go running after Tsukune. To do so would be to prove him right, and then where would they be? They would be in a position where they'd have to let the children they had with Tsukune be raised around humans. And that was unacceptable. So there Moka stayed, cold and alone save for herself, who wasn't being much help. She didn't want to lose Tsukune, but at the same time she wanted to make sure that her children stayed safe. It was a quandary that tormented her throughout the night as she lay there on the sofa.

When the faint rays of morning sunshine poked through the window, Moka was still considering what she should do, they should do. No matter how much the Outer Moka tried to think of some way that they could get through this situation, she couldn't come up with anything. And her Inner self was just as stumped.

Eventually, as the Outer Moka was trying to turn her back to the sun, hoping to get some sleep, vaguely praying that everything would turn out to be some kind of a nightmare, her Inner self made herself known once again.

**Okay, it's morning. We should probably go after him now.**

'W-what? What happened to not going after him for fear of looking like we were giving in?'

**It's been a night. He's had time to think and cool his head. By now he should realize how much he stands to lose by leaving us. Now if we go after him we can give him the chance to come back without looking desperate.**

'Do you really think that he'll come back to us just like that? You saw how he was the other night, after what we did.'

**He loves us Omote. He may have been angry, but something that small wouldn't change that fact. We are bound to be together forever. A tiny argument like this won't split us apart, not after what Ria did and everything else. He proved before that he will overcome any challenge to be with us. He overcame Fafnir, we overcame Ria, and we shall all overcome this. Now let's go find him and let him know that he's still welcome here. I don't want to spend another night alone on the couch either you know.**

The Outer Moka nodded and smiled, believing that the whole situation might be close to an end. She needed to believe it. With the reminder of previous obstacles that they had overcome together, Moka found new strength and determination. After a few minutes to get dressed she headed out the front door and into the morning light to find the one she had promised her life to.

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Thirty minutes later

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It took half an hour to trace Tsukune's circuitous route from their home. The combination of having several hours to dissipate, the numerous other smells that could be found in any civilized area, and the fact that Moka's sense of smell was nowhere near as strong as it was when her Rosario was removed made the trek take a while. However, regardless of the difficulties, she finally made her way to the park Tsukune had waited at the previous night. Or rather she went back to the park. At first she had passed it thinking it was another spot where the trail broke completely and had searched ahead not realizing she went past her destination.

Upon a second pass through the area, she detected a faint aroma that definitely made this situation a lot more complicated.

It was barely there, but she could smell Ria. She was here. Ria and Tsukune were most likely at the same place.

'What the heck was _she_ doing here! Father told her to leave us alone, she wouldn't risk making him angry. And how on earth did she even know where to find Tsukune or that we were having a fight?'

She could almost hear the exasperation in her inner self's voice**. Omote, think about it for a minute. Most likely Tsukune just called her and told her where to find him. Given what happened last night, it's very possible that he sought Ria's company to make us jealous.**

'So what are we going to do? We can't just let Ria swoop in and steal him away from us!'

**What do we do? Nothing really. He went and had sex with Ria as payback. Fine. We slept with Gin, he slept with Ria, we're even. We find him, let him know that we forgive him for his affair, and then we go home and put all of this behind us. We'll let the issue of children slide for now, just don't bring it up. Maybe we can get him to wait a hundred years or so before thinking about children. If we wait until his human family dies off, then he has no reason to argue against us keeping them away from humans, right?**

Outer Moka was ecstatic at that thought. 'That's BRILLIANT! Okay, let's head back home. If Ria isn't there then we can probably get Father or Kokoa to tell us where she's run off to.'

She waited for a moment and was a bit surprised that her Inner Self didn't immediately answer. Outer Moka directed her thoughts toward her Inner Self and felt… shock?

'What's wrong?' she directed at her Inner Self, trying to figure out what was wrong.

**I… I just thought of something. What day is today?**

'Umm, Thursday I think…'

**No! The date, what's today's date?**

'It's the twenty eighth of July, I think. Why?'

Outer waited for a second before directing her thoughts toward her Inner Self again 'Are you going to tell me what's wrong or not? What's so special about what day it is?'

In reality, the Inner Moka was desperately trying to think of a solution to what was most likely going to become a very big problem, very soon.

While the Inner Moka had perfect recollection as to what her Outer Self did even though she was sealed, and Vice-versa, the Outer Moka didn't have many memories of what happened before the Rosario was first placed on her. The Outer Moka only had a few memories of things that were really important, like the time she spent together with Kokoa. Long story short, there were a good number of things that the Outer Moka didn't know, especially in regards to the boring official stuff that the Inner Moka never paid much attention to. In many ways, the Outer Moka was almost as ignorant of Vampire Society as Tsukune was.

So she had no idea about what was scheduled to happen in a month, or the problems that it would inevitably bring up.

**Listen, we have to get back to Castle Akashiya. Right now. We have to get Tsukune back here immediately.**

'What are you talking abo-'

**Call a car, NOW! If Tsukune stays at the Castle then he's going to be in a lot of danger. We have to get him back IMMEDIATELY! There's no time, hurry!**

'Okay, okay!'

She spent about ten seconds looking through her pockets before realizing that she left her phone at home. She turned to head back home when she looked around and realized something.

'Uh… Ura-chan?'

**What is it?**

'Where are we?'

The inner Moka had a look around, realizing that she had no idea where they were. They had followed Tsukune's trail, they didn't care about anything other than that. And that scent trail definitely would have gone cold by now.

**Crap**

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Castle Akashiya, that afternoon

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Tsukune woke up suddenly from the chair he was sitting in. He shook his head and looked around Castle Akashiya's game room, wondering how much time had passed.

"You don't have to wake up, brother dear. It's rather interesting watching you sleep."

His eyes went wide in surprise as he looked toward the location of the voice and found none other than his eldest sister-in-law.

There she was, bold as brass, sitting right there in the chair opposite his own and unabashedly staring at him over the chess board on the table.

Tsukune wasn't sure what to say. His vocabulary and experience simply did not provide an answer regarding what to say when you wake up and someone was sitting there watching you. Mizore at least had the decorum to not get caught doing it.

He sat there for a moment as his thoughts wandered in the direction of the Snow-Girl before his attention was forced into the here and now. "Honestly Tsukune, if you wanted to play with me you could have just come to my bedroom rather than sitting here and playing with yourself to my image.

Tsukune was about to vehemently protest against her implication before he looked at the chessboard and realized what she meant. In his boredom, and in an attempt to bring his thoughts away from what happened the previous evening, Tsukune had sat down at the chessboard and tried to replay one of the games he had with Ria in a vague attempt to find out where he went wrong. He glanced up at her as she looked back, seemingly oblivious to the double-entendre of what she just said.

"Well brother, since we're both here, why don't we play a game like we used to? My schedule is actually completely free today."

Since he had nothing else to do, Tsukune agreed and they set up the pieces, Tsukune to make the first move.

He stared at the pieces of the fine chessboard, made of ivory and obsidian, trying to think of what he would do. After playing the game with Ria several years ago, he had actually gotten interested in the game and had been practicing. Tsukune honestly hoped to beat the Vampire this time around. So he opened with something that she might not expect and moved the third pawn from the left two spaces forward.

Ria raised an eyebrow at the strange move. Before, Tsukune always opened with the same thing. A small smile graced her lips as she moved the pawn in front of her King forward one space.

Tsukune moved a Knight and waited. She looked down at the board and asked "Tell me little brother, what do you intend to do from here on out? What do you plan to do after you have Father cut the string binding you to my dear little sister?"

He frowned at the question. He had honestly not thought it through any further than 'divorce the cheating bitch'. He frowned in thought as Ria made her move, leaving him with two things to worry about.

"I guess… I'm not sure. I have a job, and it's not like it's going to be hard for me to get a new house. I'll just move on from there."

Ria sighed as she watched Tsukune make his move. "Honestly, is that seriously what you think you'll be doing? You act like you're the average Buck in the herd. You're a Vampire Tsukune, do you honestly think that you can just go with a desk job at a company like a human?"

Tsukune frowned at her and whether or not he meant it as a sign to continue, Ria did so. "You're about to enter Vampire society for real Tsukune. Father has gone to great lengths to leave you at peace for as long as he has, but he isn't able to keep the inevitable at bay for any longer. You're about to be presented to the Court, every Vampire of any standing anywhere will know that Lord Akashiya has a son. What do you think that means?"

He tried to concentrate on his next move rather than the rhetorical question. 'Is that Bishop bait or did she genuinely make a mistake?' "I don't know Ria, judging by how you're speaking, you expect me to join you and Kahlua in the family business of casual murder. That isn't going to happen."

Ria shook her head. "It means that you will be expected to maintain some sense of decorum. You will be expected to act the part of the eldest son of Lord Akashiya. It means that Father's enemies will learn about your existence, and they won't have any problems with using you to harm him. You won't be able to simply bury your head in the sand and pretend that nothing's happening."

Tsukune looked up at the older woman. "Ria, I've dealt with Trolls, Ogres, and plenty of other things. I'll be fine."

"You don't get it do you? You really don't understand just what kind of danger you'll be exposed to. Tsukune, these aren't petty little gangs of school bullies, these are people whom my Father considers enemies. Do you honestly think that anybody our Father considers an enemy would be alive for very long if they weren't strong enough to survive his best attempts to kill them? You won't be dealing with a trio of thugs armed with pistols in a back alley, the assassins sent to kill you will be every bit as dangerous, if not more so, than Kahlua. Do you think you'll be able to survive an encounter like that?"

Now _that_ particular thought got Tsukune's attention. It could be the fact that his face was still throbbing from the slap she gave him earlier, but Tsukune couldn't help but be afraid of what Kahlua could have done when she came flying over the breakfast table. That slap to the cheek could just as easily have hit about three inches lower with her arm changed into a number of blades.

Ria noticed the sudden change in demeanor. "Now you're starting to understand. Father's protection doesn't mean anything when it comes to people who are already his enemies. If you stay in some suburban hole then it won't be long before someone throws a firebomb through your window. After you're presented to the Court, people will want to kill you just because of who you are. Why do you think Kahlua and I stay here most of the time? Do you really think that there isn't anybody out there who would like to remove Father's preferred assassin, or the one who acts as his right hand? Father may not have many genuine enemies, but you should definitely believe that the ones he has are every bit as dangerous as Father himself, if not more so."

Now Tsukune actually paled slightly. "More dangerous than Akashiya?"

Ria sighed as she moved another piece on the board. "Listen Tsukune, Father is considered a Duke of the Court, do you know what that means?" when Tsukune shook his head she continued. "In our society, there are several tiers of authority, broad levels in which many fall, like a pyramid. At the bottom you have your standard commoners, then you start rising in rank with people like trusted servants and dedicated warriors. Lesser Vampires, but still Vampires. Then you have the Nobility. These are Vampires who have much more power than any of those below them, Vampires with centuries of experience behind them and a lot of power. Barons and Baronesses, Counts and Countesses. The rank of Duke, or Duchess I suppose, is as high as anyone can ever possibly get. But he didn't start there."

She thought for a moment before continuing "Father rose to the rank of Duke largely due to the sword you retrieved. With the sword in his hand, he is powerful enough to force all those below into submission and be a true threat to many who would normally be considered untouchable. And many of his fellow Dukes and Duchesses look down upon him for that. Ever since he lost the sword to Fafnir he has been laying extremely low, not giving any indication of his weakness. You cannot possibly understand the relief you brought him when you returned the sword to him. It gave him what he needed to defend himself against his foes. He can actually begin to exert his control over the region again, now that he has what makes him stronger than any other Noble in the region."

"Do you see what I mean by how his enemies can be considered stronger than him? He needs his Sword to be considered an equal them, unaided. Many took offense to his rise to power at such a young age, but with the Sword in his hand he can face them. And it's these people who will want you dead, to hurt Father. To let him know that he is not welcome where he is."

Tsukune shook his head at the revelations given to him, the reasoning behind a number of things becoming clear. 'No wonder he was willing to let me be Bonded to Moka if I got it back.' But something bugged him about what Ria said. "Ria-san, if a Duke is as high as anyone can get, then what does that make this Lord Camazotz person?"

She glanced at him before returning her gaze to the board. "Lord Camazotz is one of the twelve Lords of Outer Night. I told you that already, in the terms of the pyramid metaphor I made earlier, that would be one tier higher than Duke. And above them is the King himself."

"I see, so why is it that nobody can rise higher than Duke? What happens if one of these Lords dies?"

Ria looked at him askance for a moment before she started to laugh. After a minute or so she finally regained herself. "One of the Lords of Outer Night? Die? Tsukune, you really are ignorant of the world aren't you?" She shook her head in disbelief. "There isn't ever a change in the Lords of Outer Night. The same twelve have held those positions since the Dawn of our civilization. They are the First Children, the oldest Vampires in the world, the ones from whom every Vampire is descended from."

She sighed as she looked upward. "The King and the Lords of Outer Night posed as Gods to the mortals of the time, I think they're called the Mayans now. Entire civilizations bowed to them. And they had every ounce of the power a God would have. They aren't nearly as strong now, mind you, in fact they are little more than remnants of what they once were. But they stand supreme over all of us."

Tsukune sputtered. "H-hang on, MAYANS? That's the first civilization in human history! That was at least five thousand years ago!"

Ria smiled at him. "Tsukune, what part of 'we do not die of old age' do you not understand? Father is over a thousand years old. I told you that Lord Camazotz is one of his distant ancestors, so he is my ancestor and yours as well. Just take a guess, how old do you think he is?"

"Um, I don't know. But since you said the Mayans I'll say around five thousand years old?"

That smile on Ria's face got bigger. "I don't know. I honestly don't know how old Lord Camazotz is, or any of the Lords of Outer Night. Or the King, or the majority of the Dukes and Duchesses for that matter. Nobody knows how old they are. There hasn't been a system of writing for that long. That should give you some kind of perspective of things, and how out of place Father is among them."

Tsukune made a move, not even paying attention to the game at this point. But he realized something that Ria said. "Ria, you said these Lords were remnants of what they are right? So wouldn't one of these Dukes take them down if they are so weak?"

Ria didn't take her attention from the game at all. "Exactly, they are remnants, withered husks compared to what they once were. But they are still on top. That should give you some insight into just what it means to be considered a god."

"So, what happened to them? If Vampires don't die of old age, how did they become so weakened by age?"

Ria moved a Bishop across the board. "They didn't, the power they had didn't diminish in the slightest, it's just been diluted."

Tsukune was puzzled. "Diluted?"

She nodded and waved an arm. "Among all of us. The power of their blood was spread out among thousands and thousands of offspring, born children, turned humans or other monsters, every ounce of power you and I have is only a fraction of the power that the Lords of Outer Night once had. They weakened themselves and so gave birth to the Vampire race."

"W-wow." Tsukune tried to get his head into the game, but he wasn't having any luck. He moved his Queen forward, taking a Knight, his mind still in awe of what he had just learned. It was a large difference between hearing that Vampires don't die of old age and actually learning of beings that have been alive since, quite literally, before human civilization ever started. But something occurred to him.

"Ria-san, if the Lords of Outer Night are the First Children, where does the King come into this? What's he like?"

Ria smiled at him, his naiveté. "The King is one who fathered the Lords of Outer Night, as well as the large majority of the Nobility."

"The Vampire King is the one from whom _all_ of us are descended, the Father of the entire Vampire Race."

Tsukune just stared at her, but she didn't waste any time as she moved a Knight. "Check."

Tsukune looked at the board. She had forked his King and Queen in a single move. He just knocked over the King with a nod; his mind wasn't in the game anymore.

Ria just nodded back, every bit the gracious winner.

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Sorry the chapter took as long as it did, I hope that making it almost twice as long as the others makes up for it somewhat. So, please review and let me know what you all think. Oh, and if you noticed what game I recreated between Tsukune and Ria, the start of it anyway, you study Chess more than could possibly be considered healthy.

Until the next update,

Artful Lounger


	4. Chapter 4

Here we are, chapter four, strap on your safety belts and please remember that all flash photography is strictly prohibited.

Note, a few people expressed concerns over how easily Moka accepted the possibility of Tsukune sleeping with Ria when before she was so possessive. Keep in mind that she just spent a night alone on the couch with nothing to think about for about seven hours but what just happened. Put the change of personality down to being in an emotionally vulnerable state, not to mention a bit tired. Everyone has moments like that.

With that said, let's get started.

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Castle Akashiya main entrance

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Tsukune tugged at the neck of the suit he was forced into, uncomfortable in the formal attire. Far to his left, Ria was as passive as she ever was, showing not the slightest bit of discomfort in the black dress despite the sun. Kahlua stood between him and Ria in her usual finery, always smiling and cheerful, unless she looked at Tsukune in which case she pouted and looked off to one side. To Tsukune's right stood Kokoa in what was almost a smaller version of Kahlua's outfit, looking uncomfortable in the long dress. As usual, she had nothing but an angry glare for him when he looked over at her, and she seemed oddly hostile toward Kahlua as well. Apparently she didn't exactly like being forced into the formal clothing by her sister.

Behind the four Vampires stood a dozen servants in the black clothing all servants of Akashiya wore, each of them bearing the same collar around their neck. The sun was just starting to set behind Castle Akashiya, causing the building's shadow to cover almost everything in its feeble darkness.

Such was the sight that greeted Lord Akashiya when he returned home after a long week away.

Tsukune took in the sight of Moka's father, noticing that he had changed very little, if at all, since the last time he had been in the Vampire's presence. Around six feet tall, dark hair that fell to his shoulders, a well trimmed mustache and goatee. In all honesty if you didn't know who he was you might not have been all that impressed. But it was in his eyes, his bearing, his presence. You could feel that the man was used to absolute authority, to absolute obedience. The aristocratic clothing looked like it came from the early 1900's, and it wouldn't surprise Tsukune if it did. What drew his eyes though was the sword at the man's waist. A cross-shaped guard, fine red cloth covering the grip, and a straight blade that looked about fourteen inches long. It looked shorter than when he last saw it, but that could be because it was in a scabbard. But Tsukune recognized it for what it was, the same sword that he had obtained from Fafnir and won him a place in the Akashiya family. The thing that, according to Ria, let Akashiya Issa rise above where others saw as his rightful place and stand among those who thought themselves his betters.

As Lord Akashiya stepped out of the limousine the four bowed, each of them saying the same line, "Greetings Akashiya-sama."

This was hardly unusual; he was greeted in the same fashion every time he returned home from any kind of trip lasting longer than a few days. But the presence of his son-in-law gave him pause. After a moment's thought he put it off to deal with later and continued on as normal. He stepped forward as Ria did the same, embracing her in a tight hug for only a second or two before letting go and continuing onward toward the main doors, which opened as he approached. His children and the servants followed him in, the doors sealing shut behind them.

Tsukune was undoubtedly uncomfortable now. Ria had been drilling him on what to do and how to do it for the last two hours to make sure that he wouldn't embarrass himself. Now he was overly self-conscious, keeping track of every step and making sure it was in time with the pace of Moka's father and sisters. He couldn't help but envy the trio of Vampire girls at this point, not even Kokoa seemed to have any difficulty keeping precisely in step, she even looked bored, her mind clearly elsewhere.

Lord Akashiya led the way to a room Tsukune was all too familiar with. The Main Hall, a large chamber sparsely lit by torches and candles on the wall, and only the occasional rich carpet adorning the stone floor. A luscious red carpet led from the doorway to the far wall, where a dais rose up from the floor, lit by a candelabra at either side. At the top of the dais rose a throne of granite with worn cushions upon the back and seat providing the only comfort there.

Tsukune and his Vampire siblings stopped immediately before the dais, the servants kneeling behind them, as the eldest Vampire present ascended the stone steps and relaxed into the throne with a soft sigh. "Indeed, it is good to be home."

A simple gesture told the servants that they were dismissed and they filed out of the room obediently

After the door shut behind the last of the servants, Lord Akashiya looked down upon the four and spoke. "It is good to see that you have returned to the Castle Tsukune, your presence will be needed here before long. But tell me, if you are here, why is Moka not here to greet me as well?"

Tsukune took a deep breath and let it out before responding. "Lord Akashiya, I have come to ask you to absolve the bond between Moka and I."

It didn't take a genius to notice how each Vampire took the news. From where he stood between Kahlua and Kokoa he could see the shock and surprise that his request brought forth, but although Lord Akashiya didn't show any signs of it, Tsukune was confident that the older Vampire had a similar reaction.

After a moment he responded. "On what grounds do you ask for this son-in-law? For a Bond to be formed between two Vampires requires a great personal commitment, it cannot be broken lightly."

Tsukune bit back his first and immediate response, taking time to go over what he planned to say in his mind. He wasn't sure whether to thank Ria for her help or damn her for prying the information out of him. They had been together in that game room too long, he wasn't able to keep what happened a secret from her. To his amazement, on some level, Ria actually offered her help. And Tsukune… reluctantly… accepted it. She taught him what to say, how to color the events to make Issa agree to his request rather than dismiss it out of hand.

After a silent moment, Tsukune responded. "I want to sever the Bond between Moka and I based on the grounds that she knowingly and willingly attempted to conceive a child with someone other than myself, and with an inferior being as well. We had an argument based on how our children should be raised, and when I would not yield to her demands she went to conceive children with a Werewolf instead."

Tsukune tried to gauge Lord Akashiya's reaction but he didn't have any luck. Tsukune had no idea what the older Vampire was thinking. Kahlua had also concealed her reaction after that initial shock, so she was all but unreadable as well. Kokoa, luckily, was nowhere near as skilled and experienced in regard to hiding her emotions. Tsukune could feel her anger like heat radiating from her skin. She had herself under control now, in her Father's presence, but Tsukune had no doubts that he would be having words with her before long about his request.

A minute passed in silence, the four children standing at the foot of the Dais while Issa sat upon the throne, staring slightly above them. Then another minute passed. Finally, Moka's Father responded. "Tsukune, Kahlua, Kokoa, leave. Ria, I have to speak with you for a moment."

The four bowed and went to obey his command, leaving Ria alone with the oldest Vampire in Japan.

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Outside the Main Hall

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Tsukune let out a brief sigh as the door closed behind him and his sister-in-laws. About half a second later he felt someone grab his arm and hurl him toward a nearby stone wall with significant force.

His back hit the wall and the air burst out of his lungs. With the wind knocked out of him, he barely managed to get his hands in the way of the punch coming toward his face. And although he managed to stop that punch, he wasn't quick enough to stop his assailant's other hand from grabbing the back of his head and force his nose into her rising knee.

As Tsukune's vision went white with pain he felt that same pair of hands settle firmly around his neck and slam the back of his head against the wall again. A few seconds later it happened again, and then yet again.

After the third time his skull met unyielding rock he heard his attacker growl at him "What the hell do you think you're doing telling lies like that about my sister?"

Tsukune raised his head to face the orange blob, or at least that was what it appeared to be while his eyes tried to focus. "What I said was nothing but the truth."

In response, she slammed his head against the wall again. "LIAR! There is no way that my sister would do something like that! Sully herself by seeking children from a Werewolf? That is the most obvious, bullshit lie that I've ever heard! Now tell me the truth about what really happened before I decide to find out how well your brains decorate a wall."

Tsukune was not in the best of moods after what happened between himself and Moka, and even less forgiving after having been assaulted by Kahlua that morning and having Ria pry the story out of him the subsequent afternoon. So rather than letting Kokoa manhandle him in the evening and make the day complete, when his eyes finally focused properly and Kokoa actually appeared as a humanoid shape he wasted no time driving his fist up into her unsuspecting jaw.

While she was stunned from the sudden uppercut, Tsukune wasted no time ducking low, breaking the hold, and driving an elbow into her stomach. As she hunched over out of pure reflex, he grabbed her and flung her into the other wall on the other side of the hall. Her side hit the wall with a solid 'THUD' and fell to the floor.

He let out a sigh of relief, thinking her to be unconscious and did the best he could to stop the blood streaming from his nose. He couldn't help but groan as he saw that the blood had gotten all over the front of the tuxedo Ria had gotten for him so he wouldn't make a bad impression. He knew he would be requesting something difficult to grant from Lord Akashiya, so he did everything he could beforehand to get on the guy's good side.

And now he had blood all over his front.

Unfortunately, Kokoa didn't turn out to be as out cold as she first appeared to be.

The moment he took his eyes off of her to examine the state of his borrowed clothes Kokoa leapt up and tackled him to the floor, straddling him as she prepared to rain punches down upon his head. Unfortunately, she didn't brace herself correctly, so Tsukune flipped them both over. With him on top it didn't take long to lock both of her arms in place, using his own superior strength to force her hands behind her back.

The two were in that position, panting for a moment before another voice sounded through the hall. "Oh, Tsukune-kun, first me and now Kokoa? You really DO have a thing for women in your own family don't you?"

After Kahlua's little remark, Tsukune realized the position he had forced himself and Kokoa into. She was lying on the ground, he was on top of her. She had been straddling him before he flipped their positions so he was between her legs, his hips maybe an inch away from hers, the long skirt of her dress, more than just a bit tattered after the previous engagement, riding up and showing a lot of leg and the occasional glimpse of her underwear. The way he forced her arms under her, he was all but lying on top of her, Kokoa's face maybe an inch away from his own.

And shortly after he realized the position they were in, he became distinctly aware of what five years of growth had done to the young Vampire. Where before she had been skinny and flat-chested, Kokoa at nineteen years of age had definitely filled in and he could feel her breasts pressing into his chest and strong thighs on either side of his hips, her panting breath growing slightly ragged as her cheeks turned a darker shade of red. A certain part of Tsukune's anatomy made its approval of the changes, and this whole situation, VERY apparent.

Ria chose that particular moment to come out of the Main Hall.

Moka's eldest sister looked down upon her youngest sister and brother-in-law for a moment of stunned silence before shaking her head. "Oh me, oh my. Brother dear, I know it may be hard, but if you insist on taking my little sister's virginity you could at least do it in a proper bedroom, make her first time special."

Kokoa, if it could be believed, went an even deeper shade of red as her two older sisters openly stared at the spectacle before quietly growling at the man on top of her "You have two seconds to get off of me, or so help me I am going to mount your head on a pike."

Rather than risk antagonizing her any longer, Tsukune quickly got up, letting the embarrassed Vampire run off in an attempt to preserve some fragments of decency.

Usually Tsukune was rather hard-pressed to find similarities between the daughters of Akashiya Issa, aside from the fact that they were all crazy, but he could clearly see a familial resemblance at that moment, as both Kahlua and Ria gave the same small, barely concealed smile at the whole situation. Both sisters got the same amusement out of seeing Tsukune in an embarrassing situation.

"U-umm…." Tsukune stammered, trying to find some way to steer things away from what was most likely going to be relentless teasing about the most recent… incident. Luckily for him, he managed to spot something that would work. "Ria, what happened to your face?"

With Kokoa… distracting him, Tsukune hadn't noticed until that moment the darkening bruise on Ria's cheek.

The eldest sister brushed it with a hand, and Tsukune just barely saw her suppress a wince. "It is a simple thing really. Father asked me what I did to convince you to follow this course of action. After I told him that I had nothing to do with it, he gave me this mark of his displeasure, for supposedly lying to him. After that, I proved the truthfulness of my words and I was dismissed. It didn't take long."

"Uh, I'm sorry that you got hurt for my sake, Ria-san." Tsukune wasn't really sure what to say right now. He had once hit the woman as hard as he could and had failed to leave a mark. He had seen plenty of bruises, and he could tell just by looking at it that the one Ria had received would be throbbing for some time. More than likely the chastisement Issa had dealt to her would dislocate Tsukune's jaw.

Ria smiled, despite how it must have made the bruise her even more. "Oh me, oh my, if you really are sorry I can think of a few ways that you can make it up to me."

Tsukune sighed, he should have known better. Ria was still Ria, and there wasn't anything he could do to change that. "Thank you Ria-san, but no thanks. If you don't mind my asking, what did Lord Akashiya plan on doing now that he knows you had nothing to do with what's happening?"

Quite simply, Ria shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. He left the room the moment he dismissed me. He is most likely going somewhere private where he can think about this matter. Aside from that, I can make a few guesses as to what he'll do, but nothing I could guarantee."

Her eyes narrowed as she continued on. "He doesn't want to believe it. He doesn't want to believe that Moka did such a thing, that she has done something so foolish and so demeaning. He thought that I had lied to him, that I had disobeyed him, rather than believe the truth about his precious daughter. He doubted what I said, he thought I had disobeyed his instructions, something that I have never done, even once. Even in her disgrace she has a greater presence in his heart than I do."

Tsukune was silent as Ria spoke. He could see that she wasn't talking to him, or to the equally silent Kahlua. Tsukune had never seen Ria like this before. He had seen her in the throes of ecstasy, he had seen her as she thoughtlessly committed murder, he had seen her when she was embarrassed, and he had seen Ria when she was absolutely furious. But never, ever, had he seen Ria when she was anything less than totally in control of herself. He had never seen her worried, saddened and… hurt, the way she looked at that moment.

He looked to Kahlua, hoping for some hint as to what they should do.

And found empty space. Kahlua had evidently decided to make her exit while he wasn't watching her.

He was alone, and not at all sure of what to do.

So, with no other idea of what was expected of him, he went with his instincts, no matter how much some parts of his brain screamed at him not to. The same thing that he had always tried to do when he found someone in pain, provide whatever comfort he could.

Tsukune calmly, slowly walked toward the older Vampire and put his arms around her, hugging her close, his heart pounding in his chest, not at all sure that he was doing the right thing. He felt her stiffen in his embrace for a moment, before slowly, somewhat hesitantly, responding in kind.

He was scared. He had never seen her like this before and he didn't like it at all. He knew how to deal with Ria, but never before had she been like this, been… understandable, she had never been someone he could relate to. But Tsukune knew how it hurt when a parent hurt you.

He could remember the disappointment in his father's eyes when he failed his High School Entrance Exams. Tsukune remembered the awkward silences at dinner, how cold his mother had been for the few days after the results came in. The pain clawed at his heart, to the point when he actually wished they would strike him, punish him, rather than just letting him sit with the guilt and the weight of their disappointment. They never said anything, but it was there, and it hurt. Everyone wants their parents to be proud of them, no matter who they happen to be. And Tsukune realized that Ria had been seeking her father's affection since before his grandfather was born.

So he pretended that he didn't feel the wetness on his shoulder as Ria hugged him back, happy to provide what comfort he could.

His reaction might have been different had he seen the small, cruel, knowing little smile that played at Ria's lips as she hugged him even closer.

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A few minutes later

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If Tsukune was uncomfortable before, he was absolutely worried now as Ria led him by the hand through the Castle halls. His brain kept saying that something was wrong, that he should be careful, but he couldn't make his hand let go of Ria's, nor could he make his legs stop following her. Before long they were standing at one of the few places in the Castle that he was familiar with.

They were outside of Ria's bedroom.

As they stood outside that door, Tsukune finally managed to make his hand let go of Ria's. "Don't think that just because of this that I'm going to let you have your way with me Ria."

He was expecting an angry, possibly violent reaction. Instead, Ria surprised him once more and only smiled. "Oh me, oh my, brother dear did you think that I was going to do something like force myself upon you? Don't worry, I can be patient." She leaned in closer and started whispering into his ear. "The next time you impale me on your _throbbing_ manhood and we make each other scream out in absolute _ecstasy_, it will be because you sought me out." The tip of her tongue touched his earlobe for just an instant before she pulled away, grabbing both of his hands and holding them in hers as she stood before him.

"Well, goodnight brother dear." Then, quick as lightning, before he could do anything about it, she darted forward and pressed her lips against his, her fingers curling in his hair as she made her passion known to him.

Then she pulled away, gave him a brief smile, and vanished into her bedroom.

Tsukune struggled to contain a shudder as he was reminded of just how much stronger Ria was than he. That had all taken a second, that searing hot kiss was over and she had made her escape before he could react, even by reflex. It made him well aware that if she wanted, she could easily take what she wanted. Just like she had before.

'But, if she can just take what she wants, why doesn't she?'

Tsukune really didn't want to think about that, he didn't want to think about what that could possibly mean. He decided that the best course of action would just be to go to bed. And so he did, walking down the hall with his shoulders stiff as he tried not to think about this new side of Sekiten Ria that he had never seen before.

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In Ria's room

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Ria stretched her arms above her head after she closed the door in Tsukune's face. After a moment she looked down at what she held in her hand, the real reason for her little indulgence just then.

She held a number of Tsukune's hairs in her grasp, with how fast it happened and the kiss that happened at the same time, she highly doubted he'd ever notice their absence. She went over to a nearby dresser and quickly taped the hairs to a business card so that she could easily keep track of them.

The Vampire caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she did this. She took a second look, running her finger along the dark discoloration that marred her face. She smiled at the twinge of pain. Indeed, the progress she had made thanks to the self-inflicted bruise had been well worth the pain. She let her natural healing processes take care of the bruise. Without her consciously restraining her powers, her skin was unblemished again in a few moments.

She brought the card over to a corner of her bedroom, the only part of the room that wasn't covered by a rug or a carpet, instead leaving bare stone. Upon the stone floor was a circle of silver, several feet across that was held in place by several overlarge staples that were embedded in the rock. She placed the card on the nearby Queen size bed and took a small broom from her closet.

During any kind of magic, the integrity of the circle was paramount. She swept the area of stone, making sure that nothing, such as a stray hair, would fall across the circle and make what she planned more difficult than it had to be. After she finished she stripped out of the dress she was wearing, leaving her only in her bra and panties. It wouldn't do for her dress to break the circle either. After she stripped she went back to that closet, grabbing a bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towels. Then she knelt down and cleaned the circle as though she meant to perform surgery upon it. It took about ten minutes before she was satisfied that no speck of dust would degrade the circle while she was working.

With the preparations complete, she took the business card with Tsukune's hair taped to it and stepped into the circle.

She smiled as she glanced down at the hair. 'Sweet dreams dear brother.' Then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to chant words under her breath.

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With Tsukune, the next morning

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Tsukune woke up feeling rather horrible. His head felt heavy, his mind fuzzy. He frowned as he sat up, noticing a couple of things were wrong. First off, his sheets weren't exactly dry. 'Was I sweating during the night?' It was the only thing that made sense. In addition to that, he woke up rather… 'excited' one might say. And he only had to think about his dreams the previous night to figure out why.

It was without a doubt the most vivid wet dream he'd ever had in his life, and given how things were at Youkai Academy that was saying something. But unlike those little escapades of Tsukune's imagination, which usually involved Moka, Kurumu, Mizore, and sometimes even Ruby, there was only one person in this one. Ria.

He didn't want to think about it, but his mind just kept going back in that direction. Ria. Her naked flesh warm and soft against him, pliant under his hands, sweet and delicious under his tongue. In that dream he had done… hell what _hadn't_ he done with her in that dream?

Tsukune shook his head as he forced himself to get up. 'I need a cold shower… right now, badly.'

He wasted no time in leaving the room, turning toward the shower room he'd been told was his. It used to belong to a number of the servants, but it was dedicated solely to Tsukune's use until his own room was prepared.

He hadn't taken more than a single step when the door right next to his own opened and a sleepy person walked out with a head of disheveled pink hair.

Tsukune gaped, stunned at this person's sudden arrival. He knew he'd have to face her again, but not immediately.

It didn't take her long to notice him, her bright green eyes growing wide as she took in the sight of him. "Tsukune!"

He took in a deep breath as he prepared to deal with the woman who, only days ago, shattered his trust in her. 'On the bright side,' he thought to himself, 'I don't think I'll be needing that cold shower.'

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And so that is the chapter. Sorry it took a while, but I couldn't get it to you guys any earlier than that. In the next chapter we'll be looking at how Moka arrived at Castle Akashiya, not that it's a long or complex story but putting it in this chapter would ruin the flow of it. We'll also see Issa trying to get to the bottom of the whole mess. And who knows what Moka's sisters might or might not do. If you want to find out, you'll have to wait patiently and read the chapter when I'm done with it.

Until the next update,

Artful Lounger


	5. Chapter 5

Hello and welcome to yet another chapter of Reap what you Sow. It has come to my attention that some people HAVE used flash photography during this story. Those people have been spirited away into the darkness, and you don't want to know what happened after that. Take the warning to heart, that's my advice, it's up to you.

With that said, let us delve head first into chapter five. Read, review, and enjoy. If you guys don't review, I can't get any better.

This chapter is going to begin in Moka's perspective, explaining how she got to Castle Akashiya in time to meet Tsukune that morning, and we'll continue from there. ACTION!

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With Moka, the previous evening

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Moka, both Mokas, learned something rather humbling. It doesn't matter how strong you are if you have no idea where the hell you are.

Throughout the five years of their marriage, Moka had rarely left the home on her own. Her opinion had changed very little in Youkai Academy and she still stood by what she said 'I despise humans'. Most humans kept to that mold in her eyes, the same herd animals that kept together in order to torment those that were different for no reason other than their amusement. As far as she was concerned, Tsukune was the only exception to that rule, and even then he was human no longer. Why would she want to spend time among them when she didn't have to?

Generally, Moka stayed home while Tsukune was at work, taking care of what needed to be done. When she left the house, it was usually alongside Tsukune to enjoy the night. Movies, dinner, whatever amusement caught their attention. Or during the day to take care of things like grocery shopping. Moka could count the times she had left their apartment on her own using the fingers of one hand. And she only really knew the way to the nearest market and back. If she wasn't on one of those few familiar streets she was clueless.

She didn't consider that before she went charging off after Tsukune that morning.

It didn't take Moka very long to realize why that was a bad idea.

She walked those unfamiliar streets for hours, surrounded by people she didn't know, the noises and the smells of thousands of humans all around her. It was exactly what she feared long ago, being left alone among those hideous, greasy creatures. She tried asking for directions, she at least remembered her home address, but most didn't have any idea where that was. And most of those who did leered at her figure and told her that they'd only tell her if she did a few 'favors' in exchange.

It wasn't until about six o'clock when she stumbled into a place she was familiar with. She was almost ready to cry in relief when she finally walked through her front door.

Those almost became tears of another emotion when she realized that she was still alone.

**Hurry, you have to call the Castle, get someone to pick us up and bring us home immediately!**

The Outer Moka grumbled at her Inner Self, but did as she was told. It was rare to see her other personality in anything close to panic, and right now she was absolutely frantic, almost desperate. She had been absolutely no help in finding their way home. As she dialed the number she had embedded into her memory, she couldn't help but wonder what could possibly have such an effect upon her Inner Self. What piece of information could possibly have her so worried?

It didn't take her long, a simple spoken password to verify that she was actually Akashiya Moka, and a car was sent out to pick her up. Moka tried to calm herself, both selves, down while they waited for the car, but it was little use. The Outer Moka felt… restless, fidgety. She could feel the anxiety of her Inner Self affecting her, but nothing she said would calm her down. The Inner Moka was single-minded in her desire to get back to Castle Akashiya as soon as they could, make up with Tsukune as soon as possible. The Outer Moka had never seen her Inner Self in such a state before… and she didn't like this new side at all. It was very… unnerving to see the one whom she relied on all but fall apart. The fact that it was all happening inside of her own head made it all the more disconcerting.

Both Mokas were relieved when they heard a car horn outside. She hurried out and into the back of the Bentley that was sent to pick her up, telling the driver to take her home immediately. As he was taught to do so, the servant at the wheel obeyed.

It wasn't until she got back to Castle Akashiya that things started getting a bit strange. As they drove in, another car drove past them, heading back toward where they came. Only the car skidded to a halt about ten yards after it passed them, the driver getting out and waving at Moka's car to stop.

The driver of the other car said that he was just heading out to pick up Moka. Her father wanted to see her immediately.

So, she was brought into an audience with her father the second she stepped through the door.

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Castle Akashiya, Parlor

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A few servants hurried Moka into the room where she found her father waiting for her. They wasted no time in sealing the doors behind them on their way out.

Thick rugs and carpets covered the stone floor, and upon them were a number of chairs, sofas, and chaise lounges surrounding a few small tables and a large fireplace. The fire was roaring now, with Issa sitting in one of the chairs, his back to her. Aside from the roar and crackle of the fire, the room was utterly silent, it was just Moka and her father.

She could tell just from how the servants were acting what kind of a mood her father was in. The old adage rings true 'shit flows downhill'. If the master of the house was happy, odds were good that the servants would be in a fine mood as well. The opposite also applied. As they escorted her to the meeting, Moka could tell that they were nervous, worried. She was being given every warning aside from a verbal one that something was wrong and Akashiya Issa did not like it.

Moka knew, even without the warning of her Inner Self, that she had best be polite and wary.

Before she could say anything, her father's voice reached her ears, hard and full of authority. "Remove your seal."

She was about to ask 'why' when Issa raised his hand. Without any kind of warning Moka was hit by a blast of pure force, striking her like a punch in the gut. She fell on her behind, clutching at her stomach as pain radiated through her body.

Moka's unsealed form would have been able to take such a blow without consequence, it might have forced her to take a step back, but it wouldn't have hurt very badly. To the sealed Moka however, the pain was excruciating.

It was a very unfriendly reminder that, while sealed, she was helpless. What was probably regarded as little more than a slap on the wrist felt like she just got hit by a slow moving car.

Issa didn't even notice her pain. His voice reached her ears once more. "I am not accustomed to telling someone twice." She saw him clench his raised hand into a fist.

Moka was prepared for some savage attack, but instead her Rosario simply dropped from her neck to the floor.

She felt that familiar influx of power, of pure strength filling her limbs for an instant before her vision swirled as she was hurled into the seal, and the Inner Moka was left in the Castle Akashiya parlor.

Moka, now unsealed, took a breath and stood up, facing the chair where her father sat. Issa pointed to the space in front of his chair. "Now, front and center."

The Inner Moka knew better than the Outer Moka, she wasted no time in obeying. She walked over and stood in front of her father, her hands by her sides. She was nervous, she had rarely seen her father like this before, but she did her best to not let her nervousness show.

The Lord of Castle Akashiya sat there, his black eyes piercing her. She stood there for a while, she didn't know how long, as he stared at her and said nothing.

Finally, after several long and agonizing moments, he finally said "My son approached me earlier this evening, shortly after I returned. He told me several things. Do you have any idea what he may have said to me, Moka?"

Unlike the Outer Moka, the Inner had a fairly decent idea of what was said. She had spent the last several hours going through what she was going to say. "Tsukune most likely informed you that I had sex with another man, that's hardly unusual for a Vampire, am I wrong father?"

Her father's eyes never strayed from her, nor did the intensity of his gaze lessen. "It is hardly unusual for Vampires to fool around with more than one person. Even for Mated pairs it is not strange, in fact it is even normal, for one or both Vampires involved to have sex with people other than their Mate. The Vows given to a Mate have nothing to do with fidelity; neither individual is tied down with regards to sexual partners."

Issa leaned forward slightly, and to Moka his gaze felt like it was burning a hole into her. "However, the Vows _do_ have to do with the conception of children. As well as the mutual protection of each other. You are free to roll around in the hay with whomever you want, as long as caution is taken and the conception of a child with Vampire blood is not possible. According to Tsukune, you have broken this Vow Moka. _Is this true?_"

Moka wasted no time with her answer. "Absolutely no-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Moka felt her throat suddenly close, depriving her of air. She retched as she grasped at her throat, trying to speak, trying to get air into her lungs. Pain ran through her body, screaming for the sudden lack of air.

And then it was gone, air flowed into her lungs, she was fine, as though nothing had happened.

Then Moka noticed her father sitting there, and one look into his eyes told her that he was absolutely _furious_.

"I _favored_ you so much. I gave you the freedom that was denied to the others and you… you..."

He stopped, taking several deep breaths for a moment. "You brought a man to me whom I _approved_ of, who I had accepted as my _son_. I oversaw the Ceremony, bore witness as you said your Vows, paid for a wedding in mortal custom. I banned Ria from attempting any kind of interference with your time together, I gave you years to enjoy yourselves free of any kind of burden. _And this is how you repay me?_

Moka was worried, genuinely worried. She was actually _scared_. Moka had _never_, ever seen her father this angry. No matter what happened.

His lips were peeled back and Moka could see how his teeth clenched together. "Do you have any idea of what you have done! Do you have any idea about how much you have _embarrassed_ me, embarrassed this family? And then you actually have the gall to try and _lie_ _to me about it_! You think that I am such an idiot that I wouldn't have prepared spells to prevent lies from being spoken? You thought that I would be fooled by a few false words?"

He stood up, and it took every bit of Moka's discipline not to step back as he did so. Her red eyes were wide, her fear apparent now.

"You have embarrassed me, you have embarrassed your Mate, you have embarrassed this family. You have lied to and disrespected me, your Mate, and this family. And you have done all of this only a short time before the Celebration next month, when I will be expected to show them this man I have adopted as my son, who I have allowed to become a Mate to my favorite daughter."

He did something that Moka had never before seen him do, to her or any of her sisters, no matter what any of them did.

Her father slapped her.

It was a harsh backhand across the face that struck her with all the force of a Buick, sending her straight into the stone wall with incredible force.

Before Moka could rise and catch the breath that had been knocked out of her, Issa was upon her again.

He grabbed her by the collar and hauled her to her feet, pinning her against the wall.

"In the last five years, the story of what your Mate did has spread to all of the territories I control and beyond them. For five years I have made excuses, at my own expense, whenever someone has asked why I have not yet brought forth this man that I am so proud of, that I accepted as a son. For five years I sacrificed reputation and power so that you and your Mate could have peace and happiness away from the Court. Now the time has finally come when I can no longer delay. The Counts and Barons under me have started to doubt, they have started to think that there is something wrong. Now dishonor and embarrassment are not only staining me but they are also starting to stain him. Even Lord Camazotz has heard and is curious about him. I can delay no longer, in one month I will present Tsukune to the Court as my son."

He slapped Moka again as he held her to the wall. "And just before this important event you go and do _this_? Now he has asked me to dissolve the Bond between you, and you have just proven that his claim is legitimate and truthful. I cannot deny him his request, no matter how much I might want to. It is his Right, and I cannot do anything but facilitate it. What shall I tell the Court now? In less than a month I must present him to the Court or my reputation will wane even more, as will Tsukune's. But now I cannot properly call him my son, because his Bond to you will be gone. They will ask why he is no longer Bonded to you, and I will have no choice but to tell them, and your deeds will be known to all and shame will fall upon me and this entire family, and all of this in the presence of Lord Camazotz himself!"

He slapped her again.

"I ask you again, do you have any idea of what you have _done_? Do you know how much you have disrespected me, spat upon what I sacrificed for your happiness? I will look like a fool in front of every Noble in Asia, and Lord Camazotz as well, and there is nothing that I can do to prevent it! You idiotic, air-headed little _harlot!"_

Issa threw her across the room and she slammed into the wall near the door. She had barely managed to make her vision stop swirling before Issa was upon her again, leaning over her. "You listen to me closely Moka. In one month I must present Tsukune to the Court. Before that happens I will make sure that he is Bonded to one of my daughters. He has asked me to shatter the Bond between you and he, with proper grounds to do so. By Law and custom I cannot deny his request. Your Bond will be broken unless he retracts his claim. You have until the week before the Celebration to convince him to do so, I can delay my response for that long. You will do everything in your power to gain his forgiveness, do you understand me? You will beg on your knees if you have to, but you will make him know that your apology is _genuine_ and that you will never do something like this again. Do you understand me?"

Moka nodded, her vision spinning slightly.

He grabbed her by the collar and slammed her against the wall again. "_Say it"_

She gasped out the words, her head, face, and back throbbing with pain. "I… understand father."

He nodded to her curtly and left her to slump to the floor in pain, not paying her any mind as he went to the doors. She heard him open them and speak to the servants. "Replace her seal and get her to a room, now."

Moka heard him walk away, not even bothering to open her eyes. A few seconds later she heard the 'click' of the Rosario being replaced and the Inner Moka was once again sealed, leaving only the pink-haired Outer Moka to be carried away by the worried, scared servants.

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The Next Morning (where we left off in the last chapter)

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Tsukune walked out of his bedroom and the first thing he did was see Moka walk out of the room right next door. Her green eyes widened in surprise at the sight of him, and he was stunned by the sight of her. 'Why do I have to deal with her _now_?' he thought to himself.

The moment she recovered from the surprise she all but jumped toward him. "Tsukune, I-"

As she almost ran forward to embrace him, Tsukune took a step back, putting a hand on her shoulder to keep Moka from coming any closer. "No, Moka."

"Tsukune, please listen to me, I-"

His eyes narrowed. "I said no. You made your intentions clear Moka. It's over between us, there's nothing more to say about it. Now if you'll excuse me."

Tsukune tried to go around her, but she blocked his path, arms spread wide. "Please Tsukune, I'm sorry, just listen to me. I-"

He cut her off mid-sentence. "You're sorry? You think that you can just write off what you did with 'I'm sorry'? You and I had a disagreement and you tried to force me to your will with threats. Forget about how you betrayed my trust and showed just how little regard you have for everything we had done together until then, you obviously do not regard me as an equal, nor do you respect me as one. Now please get out of my way."

Tsukune pushed her slightly to the side as he moved around her, trying to ignore the pain that still radiated through his being just looking at her. He tried to focus on the anger, tried to forget about what she meant to him.

Even then, it still took all the discipline he could muster not to embrace her. It still hurt, no matter how much he tried to ignore it. Part of him still _yearned_ for her and that part of him simply did not want to give up on the hope that things could go back to normal.

No matter how much she hurt him, this was still the woman he had done so much for, and done so much with. Part of him still cared.

But Tsukune focused on the anger and the logic. 'If I forgive her for this now, what is to stop her from hurting me again the next time we get into an argument? How do I know she won't just try to threaten and bully me into going along with her every decision?' No matter what a part of him said, Tsukune forced himself to think about the options that lay before him and he continued to remind himself that the only thing he would find with Moka would be nearly servitude with the threat of heartbreak and pain.

But his heart still nearly skipped a beat when she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, holding him in place against her. He heard her voice, soft and sweet as he always remembered it to be "Please Tsukune, it was a mistake, I won't do anything like that ever again. Please, please forgive me."

He could feel the warm dampness on the back of his shirt, and he tried very hard not to think about her tears. He opened his mouth, closed it again as he tried not to choke on his own words. Finally, he managed to force them out "No, Moka. It is over between us, it was over the moment you betrayed my trust like that." Tsukune forced her hands from around his waist, desperately trying to put a distance between himself and her.

This time she didn't try to stop him, and he desperately held on to his self control as he made his way to the shower room.

He stripped and stood under the hot water of the shower, already laden with herbs to make it safe for Vampires to use.

Tsukune stood there for a long time. He could pretend that the hot liquid running down his face only came from the shower.

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Later that day

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Tsukune wandered the Castle, trying to make himself familiar with the stone corridors and numerous rooms. He tried to avoid going to places like the Dining Room or the Foyer, places where a lot of people could be found. He also tried to prevent staying in one spot for very long.

He had heard from one of the servants that Lord Akashiya had left on business, and was not expected to return for several weeks. His response to his request would not be given until then. Until he did, he was still considered Moka's Mate. Tsukune was also told that Lord Akashiya expected him to remain at the Castle until further notice.

He was trapped in the Castle until his adoptive father said otherwise, with only the servants and Akashiya Issa's daughters for company.

Tsukune tried not to think about what Moka had said that morning, tried to avoid thinking about possibilities like 'what if she's being honest?'. He shook his head, he couldn't afford to doubt himself, he couldn't afford to be weak-willed unless he wanted to be nothing but a servant to that woman's will. 'Besides, she lied to me before, she's taken at least one human life, maybe more than that, and has lied to me for years about it. If she can lie to me about something like that then she can lie about something like this. I can't afford to trust her.'

"Oh me, oh my, there you are brother dear."

He looked up suddenly to find Ria standing at the next turn in the corridor. He took one glance at her before turning his head away. That black hair gleaming in the light, those smoky eyes, the pale skin, just looking at her brought his thoughts right back to his dream the other night and a certain part of his anatomy made it very clear how much he'd like to spend some… quality time… together with her.

For a week straight.

Tsukune did his best to bring his thoughts to matters at hand. "H-hello Ria-san. How are you doing today?"

She put a finger to her lips as she looked up at the ceiling in thought. "Hmm, not too bad, although I have been a bit lonely. Would you like to spend some time with me Tsukune? I'm sure we could find some way to… occupy ourselves for a few hours."

For a moment Tsukune thought his penis would run after her without him. But he managed to rein in his thoughts and keep himself under control.

"As nice as that sounds Ria-san, my feelings for you haven't changed. I have no intention of having sex with you."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh me, oh my, you _dirty_ boy! I was talking about a game of Chess, but you were apparently thinking of another game entirely. Was Kahlua right? Between that incident with Kahlua in the Dining Room the other morning, and your little tumble with Kokoa in the Hall, I really am starting to think that you have a thing for sister-in-laws Tsukune. It's an unusual little fetish to say the least, but if it works for you who am I to judge?"

Tsukune tried, unsuccessfully, to hide the red on his face, which Ria simply smiled at.

"Perhaps I should just forget about that little sentence, hmm?"

He just nodded "It would be appreciated."

Ria's smile widened. "Okay then, let's start over. I can think of a few ways for us to occupy our time Tsukune, would you like to accompany me?"

Tsukune nodded "That sounds wonderful Ria-san."

"Alright, so would you prefer to fuck me in my bedroom, your bedroom, or right here in the hallway?"

After a moment of Tsukune's stunned silence, Ria burst out laughing. He could tell she wasn't faking it either, it was pure and delighted laughter at his expense.

"Oh… oh, I'm sorry brother dear, but… oh my, but your _face_" she broke into a fit of giggles, barely containing herself. "I'm sorry but your face was absolutely _priceless_."

Tsukune was anything but amused as he waited for Ria to regain control of herself. "Are you finished yet Ria-san?"

Ria was breathless from the laughter and Tsukune had to try his best to avoid staring at how her deep breathing made her chest rise and fall. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. But I'm sorry that was simply too good of a chance to pass up."

She finally regained her composure. "So, dear brother, would you like to accompany me to the game room for a while?"

Tsukune nodded and off they went, Ria in control of herself but still unable to contain her smile, and Tsukune in control of himself despite parts of his brain and body wanting to declare mutiny.

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Well, that's chapter five. Development on the part of both Tsukune and Moka in this chapter, as well as Issa and his priorities.

I will admit, I originally planned for this chapter to be almost twice as long as it is now, simply because my ideal average of words per chapter is about five thousand and I'm currently under that. Unfortunately, that part there was too good of an ending scene for me to think about adding in another four thousand words to the count, especially since it wouldn't be doing the flow of the story any favors.

I'm rather curious as to how everyone thinks this chapter came out since I haven't done emotional stuff like this before so reviews would definitely be appreciated.

Until the next update,

Artful Lounger


	6. Chapter 6

Greetings readers and welcome to Reap What you Sow chapter six.

Now then, before I get started, some may have noticed that, in the canon, it is said that Alucard was the oldest Vampire that then went on a rampage, yet here there are the King and his Lords of Outer Night, and that nothing is said about them in relation to Alucard. For those who may have concerns about this, I refer you to the first chapter of this story, where I clearly state that this story doesn't strictly follow the canon. This is one of those moments. There's not much to say about it other than that.

With that said, enjoy the chapter, and I'd appreciate it if you left a review afterward.

Note: Today is October second, 2011. Happy birthday to me! I have to say, it really sucks getting old.

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With Moka

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A few hours after Tsukune left her weeping in the hallway, Moka found herself in the bedroom that she spent the night in, resting face down on the mattress, not really sure what to do. After a while, the tears simply stopped flowing, and she simply lay there not sure of what she should do.

Part of her screamed denial of what had happened, not wanting to accept the outcome of her last conversation with Tsukune, but mostly she was utterly devoid of hope, able to do nothing but cringe as she felt her heart break when she replayed those same words that Tsukune said to her. 'It is over'. Those words just _broke_ some part inside of her, that center of confidence that everything would be alright, she couldn't help but watch Tsukune walk away after he said that, helpless as the cruel reality of the situation really, truly sunk in that he didn't want her anymore. Moka simply did not know what she was supposed to do, how she could convey her remorse to someone who had no interest in hearing it.

Her Inner self was of no help, Moka could feel her in there, but she knew what it felt like when her other self didn't want to talk, and it was easy to understand why. She could feel the sadness, anger, and anxiety that her Inner self was feeling, and the Outer Moka knew better than to try and push while she was like that.

Moka knew that she had made a horrible mistake, that she had hurt Tsukune far more deeply than she ever imagined she would. Even her Inner self agreed upon that, now that it was too late and the consequences seemed unavoidable.

In all her time knowing Tsukune, she had never really had to do much to make him love her, it was easy. He was attracted to her from the start and she barely had to do anything but return that affection to make him hers. Back then, she didn't have to do anything other than apologize for something and she would be forgiven for whatever she did, give him some affection and attention and he would melt and everything would be okay. But now, the only way she knew how to approach Tsukune wasn't working, and she was stumped by the question of what she should do.

Moka simply lay there upon the bed, desperately trying to think of something, anything to say or do that would make Tsukune forgive her, make him love her again after she fully realized just how horrible and empty the world seemed without him in it.

And that was when, while Moka was lamenting in despair, someone decided to kick the door in.

"Moka-chaaaan! I heard you were back and I simply had to come see you! How have you been little sister?" While Moka was getting up and turning around to face this intruder, she was suddenly engulfed in a hug by her bronze-skinned sister. She was barely able to get the words out through Kahlua's embrace, but she managed. "It's… nice to see you too, uh, Kahlua."

Moka's older sister finally let her go, giving the girl a sunny smile as she did so. Then she turned and noticed the door she had just… opened. "Hang on just a sec, okay?" Before Moka could respond, Kahlua went over and slammed the broken door shut, only for it to creak open again on its own. After a few repeat performances of the same spectacle, Kahlua finally gave up and wedged the door shut with a chair. She turned back to Moka with that same uncaring smile on her face. "There, now then…."

Before Moka could do or say anything Kahlua launched herself across the room, once again smothering her younger sister. "How have you BEEN Moka! It's been, what, five years? Tell me, what have you been doing? What is it like living with humans? What…." Kahlua continued on a ramble for a little while, not giving Moka any time to get a word in edgewise.

She couldn't be sure what caused it, probably the combination of everything that happened. The shock of Father's words, the fact that she hadn't had much sleep in the last few days, the pain she felt at Tsukune's words, and the humiliation and self-hatred that she had been directing herself now that she looked back upon what she had done, with all of that in place, Kahlua's barrage of questions about her life in the last five years, five years of happiness that she had single-handedly ended, it all just broke a dam of self control that she had desperately been trying to keep under control. Moka had thought she was through crying, but she managed to find a fresh supply upon Kahlua inadvertently reminding her of everything she had most likely thrown away.

It didn't take Kahlua long to notice the wetness on her dress. Upon seeing Moka's reaction she immediately changed the content of her questions, if not the rapid-fire tempo. "Oh no, Moka are you okay? Are you hurt? Is it something I did? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry. Moka, what's wrong?"

After a moment Moka finally sobbed out the words. "I- I'm sorry Kahlua, it's just… I don't know what to do. Tsukune doesn't love me anymore, I don't know how to apologize to him, father is angry at me and is taking his side, and…."

Moka continued to let everything out, unable to keep everything bottled up inside of her any longer. Kahlua, realizing that Moka was indeed in pain, did the best she could. She sat there on the bed while Moka cried her heart out, listening to what she had to say, holding her close and doing her best to comfort her little sister.

It took about an hour, but Moka finally conveyed to her sister just what had been happening over the last few days. Her desperate wish that her children would remain safe, Tsukune's adamant response, her attempt to change his mind, Tsukune's response to the threat, everything significant, she simply couldn't stop herself.

By the time Moka was finished, the sisters were sitting on Moka's bed, and she was clinging to Kahlua with her sister's arm around her shoulders, trying to comfort her. It wasn't much, but… it helped. In the face of everything, nobody had helped her. Tsukune hated her, Father scorned her, and she already knew that Kokoa would probably be no help at all. She never had anybody to help her though this trial that she had brought upon herself, and having someone, it didn't matter who, someone support her despite everything she did, it filled a part of that void she felt inside of her with Tsukune's absence.

"I… I just don't know what to do Kahlua, I know I made a mistake, that I shouldn't have done what I did, but how do I make Tsukune forgive me? Before, It was always so simple, I just had to say sorry and everything would go back to the way things were, but now… now it just seems hopeless."

Kahlua just looked down at her sister, not entirely sure what she should tell her little sister who was in so much pain. "Moka, I don't know Tsukune-kun all that well, so I don't know what he thinks about everything, but I do know that you shouldn't try to threaten the person you love into doing something like that."

She felt Moka cringe a little beneath her touch. "I know Kahlua, I know, but… I couldn't just let it happen. I couldn't let our children be put in a situation like I did, I couldn't just stand by and watch as they were tormented just for being different. Tsukune just wouldn't understand, he was so determined to raise them around humans, I didn't know what else to do."

Kahlua stroked her little sister's hair as she thought about what to say. Finally, she replied "Moka, relationships aren't always the easiest things you know. In fact, more often than not people find that they really do have to work, and work hard, in order to make a relationship work. I'm not promising that things are going to be completely fine, but if you make Tsukune aware of just how you feel, it might be possible for you to stop something disastrous from happening."

Moka looked up at her sister's eyes for a moment before Kahlua continued. "Listen Moka, Father doesn't want you and Tsukune to break up, he's confined Tsukune to the Castle before he left, nobody knows where he's gone, so you have some time to convince Tsukune that you weren't trying to hurt him for the sake of hurting him. If he truly loves you, then you might be able to make him understand. He may not forgive you entirely, but he might be willing to give it a chance. Do you understand?"

Kahlua smiled a little as Moka nodded. "Now listen, I have a few things that I'll have to take care of so I won't be in the Castle for a while. But it's best if you tell Tsukune right now, rather than wait. You know that Ria has her eyes on Tsukune, so act fast before Tsukune has more time to brood on what happened. Do you understand?" She watched as Moka tentatively nodded. "Then what are you waiting for? Go!"

Moka scrambled up, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes as she headed towards the door. She looked back before she left "Kahlua-neesan, thank you."

The older sister just smiled. "There's no need, I'm always willing to help Moka-chan, what else are older sisters for?"

She sat there as she watched Moka run out into the hallway, a new determination in her eyes. But once she left, Kahlua's smile hardened. She got up and left the room, heading for her own bed chambers. It wouldn't do to leave the Castle in a tear-stained dress, and Kahlua knew that she had some important business to attend to.

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With Tsukune

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Tsukune was currently focusing as much as he could on the configuration of pieces before him, trying desperately to think of a way to seize victory and escape the jaws of defeat. After all, the more he focused on the game board meant he could distract himself from the… images, that flashed thorugh his mind every time he so much as glanced at the woman sitting across from him.

Eventually, he knocked his King over, resigned, there was no way out of the trap without losing so many pieces that he'd be defenseless. Ria gave a slight smile and nodded her head, ever the graceful winner.

'It's not like she hasn't had much practice at it' Tsukune mentally grumbled, slightly annoyed by how he had yet to take a single game in all the time he knew the woman. Unfortunately, during the time they set up the pieces for the next game, Tsukune was left with nothing to think about aside from the fact that he was alone in a room with Ria, and that the fabric of the snooker table looked very inviting.

Tsukune did his best to control himself, but he simply couldn't get those dreams out of his head. And this confused him somewhat. 'Why can't I get Ria out of my head? I never had any trouble with this sort of thing before, and there used to be five different women. What the hell is wrong with me?'

He tried to come up with something, some kind of excuse, something to make conversation. Finally, the only thing he could come up with was "So, how long do you think it will be before Kokoa-san starts challenging Moka-san to fights again?"

Ria glanced at him from where she was setting up the last of the pieces. "That's an unusual topic little brother. But if you're curious it will probably be the instant she realizes that my dear little sister is here without Father being in the Castle."

Something about Ria's answer… puzzled Tsukune. Why would Issa be a factor in anything? He never objected to his children fighting before. When he asked his question, Ria gave him a small smile.

"You really don't know how to pick up on the subtle things, do you brother dear?"

When Tsukune didn't give her any kind of response, she simply shook her head. "Oh me, oh my, you really never noticed. Ah well, fine. This is a bit of a story though. How much do you know about the relationship between Father and Moka's mother?"

The question was a bit of a blindside, but Tsukune knew some of the history at least. "Lord Akashiya was the Mate of one of the Three Dark Lords, Akasha Bloodriver, right? But Issa continued seeing other women despite being her Mate, which Akasha objected to, and when he refused to stop doing as he pleased Akasha left him, right?"

Ria shook her head slightly. "You aren't entirely correct. You see, breaking the Bond between Mates isn't as simple as simply saying that you want to be rid of someone. The only way someone can have their Bond broken is if one of the two Vampires involved has broken the Vows given during the Ceremony. If you don't have solid proof of a broken Vow, you cannot have your Bond broken no matter what the relationship happens to be like."

Tsukune started to get an inkling of what Ria was getting at. "You're saying that Lord Akashiya broke his Vows?"

Ria nodded. "Yes. And that in itself is a bit of history. You might have noticed, but Kahlua, Moka, and I all have different mothers, I was the first born, but then about a hundred years later Father starting seeing a woman called Shuzen Gyokuro, who ended up giving birth to Kahlua. Father has had a large number of lovers throughout the time I've been alive, but I can tell that Gyokuro was one of his favorite, if not his most favorite, sexual partner. In fact, his relationship with Gyokuro continued well after he was Mated to that woman."

She leaned back and smiled, as if at a happy memory. "Oh me, oh my, she didn't like that one bit, Father enjoying the company of other women. But she put up with it regardless because it is within his rights to do so, she couldn't stop him from doing that. No, what truly destroyed the relationship was the day that Gyokuro came to the Castle one day, claiming that she was pregnant with Father's child. A short test later and it was proven, Father had sired a child with a woman other than his Mate, and that woman severed her bond to him within days."

Tsukune frowned at the floor, taking the information in. "So, the entire thing between Lord Akashiya and Moka's mother, it all happened because of a mistake?"

Ria's smile grew. "No, there's no way to prove it but I'm fairly sure that Gyokuro fully intended for things to happen as they did. She never liked Akasha much, especially after she became Father's Mate. And even if that had nothing to do with it, you could tell just from looking at her when she walked into the Castle that day, she was happy that she was pregnant. And to be honest, looking back, I am too. I never liked that woman much either, and good riddance to her."

Tsukune's frown deepened. "So, Kokoa is…?"

"Yes dear brother, Kokoa is the child Gyokuro gave birth to and Father took into custody. Kokoa is the child that effectively split that woman and Father apart. And I couldn't be happier. I have no idea what things would be like without darling little Kokoa's assistance. That woman would probably still be around, doing nothing but trying to change things that had gone unchanged for millennia. Always trying to make Father's choices for him, may that woman drown in Holy Water and never darken the halls of this place again." Ria frowned for a moment "Although, that bitch definitely left her mark, Father having kept the surname and even changed the name of this Castle because of that woman."

Tsukune was hardly paying attention to her by this point. He was going through his memories, trying to see if anything didn't fit the way Ria said they did. He didn't doubt that the events she described regarding the events of Kokoa's birth, but did Issa truly regard her as a visual reminder of his mistake? A constant reminder of what shattered the bond between Akasha and himself? He hadn't attended much in the way of family activities, but it was true that he had hardly ever seen Issa show Kokoa the slightest bit of attention. 'In fact, I can think of only a handful of times when he actually addressed her by name.'

Faced with the truth, Tsukune regretted his initial question, but even more so he could understand why Kokoa clung to Moka the way she did all the way through their time together at Youkai. He knew that Moka had received a lot more in the way of privileges and freedom than any of her sisters, and Tsukune also knew that despite no longer being Mated to Issa, Akasha looked after Moka at Castle Akashiya until her disappearance. 'Did Kokoa stay close to Moka in an attempt to garner attention from those who normally ignored her? Is that why she always wanted to defeat Moka, to try and prove that she was better?' It didn't quite work out that way, Tsukune decided. Kokoa always seemed to hold Moka in genuine affection, rather than the jealousy that would be required for that kind of theory to hold much water.

'But,' Tsukune thought, 'it may very well be true that Moka is the only one who showed Kokoa any real affection throughout her time here at Castle Akashiya.' Kokoa was always scared of Kahlua, for somewhat understandable reasons, and Tsukune could tell that Ria didn't think too much of the girl either. Between a father that kept her at arm's distance, a birth mother who was never really there, and two sisters who Kokoa feared more than respected, Moka was probably the closest thing that Kokoa had to a genuine family connection.

With that thought in mind, Tsukune couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of guilt over everything that happened. 'She must have been horribly lonely after Moka and I moved into the human world, especially with Issa's ban on Ria from interfering with us. Tsukune didn't doubt that Lord Akashiya also laid restrictions on Kokoa as well, which explained why the young Vampire never crashed through the walls shouting for a match with her 'Onee-sama'.

That guilt vanished rather quickly though when he considered how things were currently going. 'Kokoa will have all the time with Moka she wants before long, after I'm not taking up her time.'

Ria didn't say anything for a while, but after a time of Tsukune being completely silent, she finally asked "Is something on your mind brother dear?"

Tsukune jumped a bit in his chair, he had been lost in thought and had forgotten where he was for a moment. "No, nothing's wrong Ria-san. Um, it's my move correct?"

Ria nodded and Tsukune started the next game, but the woman's eyes never left Tsukune for a moment. "Tell me Tsukune, what's bothering you? I can tell when something is… weighing on your mind."

He tried not to show any reaction to her question, knowing full well that she had hit the nail on the head. Once Tsukune was shaken out of his thoughts about Kokoa, those same erotic images of the woman before him flooded to the front of his mind once again, demanding that he take action here and now, the consequences be damned.

But he couldn't tell Ria about that, he couldn't show her any kind of weakness, especially when it came to things like that. Who knew how she would twist and use that information to her own ends. But he had to tell her something, something that she would believe….

"I, I'm nervous about the… event next month, it's nothing you need to bother yourself about." Tsukune hoped that would throw her off the scent, it was somewhat true after all. Tsukune didn't like thinking about it, not at all, but at the moment he would rather deal with thoughts of some faceless person on the ground rather than images of Ria doing... things to him.

'Like what she did with that ice cube and her tongue… god dammit Tsukune! Get your mind out of the gutter! Focus!'

Ria smiled at him the whole while, well aware of what was going through his mind. It was working better than she expected it to. 'Let thoughts of me flood your mind little brother, a constant temptation where I need not do anything, you constantly tempt yourself better than I ever could. That burning need will fill your mind and body, demanding that you take action, and eventually you'll give in to the sweet trap that you've set for yourself.' Ria's smile widened as she watched Tsukune's efforts to master himself. 'All I have to do now is wait a while, and you'll lock yourself in golden manacles, and wear those chains willingly.'

She waited until Tsukune managed to bring his thoughts under control before she replied "It won't be anything close to the torture you imagine little brother."

Tsukune's eyes locked onto her in an instant. "What?" 'Is she reading me…?'

"The ceremony" she clarified. "You don't have to worry about it, in fact it's rather enjoyable to drink from a human until nothing is left."

Tsukune sagged a bit in his chair, partly in relief that she wasn't able to read his thoughts, partially in despair over what he knew he would have to do.

He couldn't tell if she was doing it on purpose or not, but Ria kept on going. "It's honestly a rather indescribable feeling, purest ecstasy. As the very essence of mortal life coats your tongue and throat, you'll feel it flow through you, into you, filling an aching emptiness in your existence that you never even realized was there." Ria's voice took on a duskier tone, "There isn't anything that can hope to compare to that euphoria, that perfection." She took a deep breath as she said the words, and Tsukune couldn't help but notice that her nipples were hard, standing out against the fabric of her dress.

However erotic the image might have been in most cases though, Tsukune was thankful for this. "And the thought of taking someone else's life actually gets you off, you're sick Ria." He was thankful for the anger that flooded through him when he considered that she would feel that same way about _anybody_, without regard for who they were or what they had done. And Tsukune fed that anger, hoping that by embracing the flames of rage he could forget what truly weighed on his mind.

Ria let a coy smile grace her features as she eyed Tsukune. "Is it truly that unusual brother dear? Don't you sometimes get hungry by thinking about and talking about food? I can't help myself if considering that… feeling gets my… " she took another deep breath before she continued "…appetite going." Her lips she touched her tongue to her lips as she said the words, her voice getting a bit breathier. And she fixed him in place with those smoldering eyes.

Tsukune couldn't help but be transfixed, for a moment, by that scorching gaze, and the strength that lay behind it. But no matter how lovely the creature was before him, that didn't stop his temper from boiling as he continued to think of just how inhuman this person was. It was too easy for Tsukune to drive himself to anger… imagining Ria sinking her fangs into the flesh of a random bystander was one thing, but it was just as easy to consider how Kyouko might be taken just as easily, or his father, or his mother.

It was an easy task, for Tsukune's mind to allow itself to decline into wrath, letting the flames of anger consume his thoughts so that the fury would distract the mind and body from the throbbing pains of the wounds still bleeding within his soul.

Ria watched all of this, as Tsukune continued to do to himself what she could never do on her own. 'You are your own worst enemy my dear Tsukune, Moka shook the foundations of your being, and rather than face the pain of betrayal you would instead throw yourself into distraction and, when that does not take your attention from the pain, give into false anger and call it justified in hopes of escaping from that cold truth.'

Her smile widened, showing teeth and fangs as Tsukune brought himself nearer and nearer to his own breaking point. 'If you're going to be such an emotional wreck little brother, I could hardly respect myself if I let such an opportunity pass.'

She leaned forward a bit, accentuating just a bit the curves of her body as she watched him in all his rage and passion. "Oh me, oh my, dear little brother, if you take offense to my delight of feeding on people, why don't you do something about it?"

That was all it took, Tsukune's indignation and pain driving him to greater anger, Ria's shameless and unrepentant response, the hatred he felt toward being betrayed, the fury he felt at the fact that his family was being threatened, the anger caused by the humiliation knowing that he had no choice but to submit to what others wanted him to do, Tsukune could not keep that maelstrom of emotions under control any longer as Ria carefully led it to a boil.

He lunged across the table toward her, and Ria was ready to receive him with a smile.

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Ninety minutes later

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Moka had spent the last hour and a half searching for Tsukune. After Kahlua's words of advice gave her the strength she needed and renewed her determination, she set out to find Tsukune, the need to make amends burning inside of her.

She searched all through the castle, asking the staff when she found them, searching through all of the places Tsukune frequented, but without any luck. Nobody seemed to know where her husband was. Nobody knew where Ria was either, and that was what truly worried Moka.

Eventually she managed to find an actual, solid piece of information as to Tsukune's whereabouts, and a quick walk later she found herself here, outside the game room.

Moka… was not prepared for the sight she encountered when she opened the door.

Ria, her older sister who had always done everything she could in order to destroy whatever happiness she had, was kneeling on the floor, naked as the day she was born, and behind her was the one she had searched for, in hopes of apologizing to.

She thought she understood the pain Tsukune felt that day, when she betrayed him like she did, she thought that they could work past the pain and the anger and the regret that threatened to split them apart. But when she saw her husband, sweat clinging to his skin as he made her sister cry out and moan, Moka felt something break inside of her, and realized that when she thought she understood the pain she caused him she was being unforgivably foolish.

Now she understood just how he must have felt at that moment when she took Gin into her bed, and she hated herself all the more for it. The breaking point was when Ria caught her eye.

Ria only smiled at her, that same scornful little smirk on her lips as she wordlessly gloated in her victory, as she shoved her success down Moka's throat without saying a word. Moka's pain and shock and anger only grew as she took in that horrible vision.

After only a few moments she could take no more, she slammed the door shut and ran down the hall, her eyes starting to well up as that same despair from before flowed to the forefront of her mind.

In the game room, Tsukune never even noticed the door had opened, so intent was he upon his current task.

And Ria, she could only let her smile grow as she drank in the sight of her sister's shocked and disbelieving face, the sight making what she was doing now all the sweeter.

'Ah little sister, none of this would be possible without you. Rage, anger, hatred, love, all so similar when you look at them objectively, all of them so passionate, and solely focused on another to the exclusion of all else. I have to thank you for inspiring this rage, this hatred, this unspeakable _passion_ that you inspired. It made it all so much easier to make him focus that passion on me, when before he was so steadfast and stalwart in his ways, you rattled him to the foundations of his being, made him vulnerable again, and I am truly grateful.'

With those thoughts aside, Ria forgot about the momentary interruption, willfully losing herself in the whirlwind of sensation that happily enveloped her.

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And that's the end of the chapter.

I know, big surprises all around. I will say this much though, I am not at all confident in myself when it comes to that scene between Moka and Kahlua. I've said it for more than thirty years and I still say it now 'women are absolutely mental'. I firmly stand by that. So I have absolutely no idea what they're like alone when they're trying to comfort each other. So that first scene with Moka and Kahlua might not be entirely realistic.

Speaking of Kahlua, some might be wondering what happened to her character during this chapter. Quite simply, Kahlua can be serious when the time comes for it, her sister was in pain and she did her best to ease that pain. It's not like everyone acts the same every day in every situation, there are a lot of situations where people act a lot different from how they normally portray themselves. I just wanted to answer that question before it gets asked twenty times over.

With that said, please review so that I may improve myself.

Until the next update,

Artful Lounger


	7. Chapter 7

Greetings, one and all, and welcome to Reap What you Sow, chapter seven!

Quite a surprising turn events took last chapter, back-story on the youngest sister was revealed, Kahlua played the part of shoulder to cry on, Moka received QUITE the shock I must say, and Ria scored quite the victory.

Please enjoy the chapter and please review at the end, if I don't receive feedback then I cannot improve, so help a guy out would you?

Note: Sorry this update took so long, quite a long story about that. For starters, life in general was NOT a good writing environment. On top of that there was the usual holiday insanity and, just to finish things with a bang, one massive computer virus to wipe out my entire hard-drive. Good times. This one file was literally the ONLY thing I was able to salvage. Everything else, completely gone. I've been busy rebuilding all of that when I've had time. So, rest assured that I do my best to get these chapters out to you in as timely a manner as possible, sorry this took so long.

Also, Merry Christmas, happy New Year, and all that stuff.

With all of that said and done, at long last, enjoy the chapter.

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With Tsukune

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As Tsukune eased his way back into consciousness, the very first thing he noticed was the cold. The bare, frigid stone upon which he lay gave him an extra incentive to wake up, and it was as he struggled to regain full control of his chilled limbs that he noticed the warmth of another next to him.

He had yet to open his eyes, but in his sleep addled thoughts, the curves pressed into his chest seemed oh so familiar, the silky hair brushing his skin ever so tantalizing. He relaxed somewhat despite the cold as he said the only word that such sensations brought to his lips. "Moka"

Tsukune murmured the word just as he managed to force his eyes to open.

It was around then that he noticed something was wrong.

The figure that he was holding close to him was just as warm and soft as the only woman he had ever slept with, but the hair was not the bright pink that he was used to. Whoever this woman was, her hair was black as a raven's wings.

In a rush, Tsukune's mind threw off the effects of his slumber and everything he had done previously came soaring to the forefront of his thoughts.

His first instinct was to deny it. No matter what Moka may have done to him, that did not justify cavorting with another woman. Even after her betrayal it was not Tsukune's intention to find another lover.

But despite his internal ramblings of denial and disbelief, the proof lay before him, with a smug smile gracing her lips even as she slept.

Tsukune glanced around the room, at the broken furniture and scattered clothing, and settled upon a course of action. Gently, slowly, carefully, he separated himself from Ria before standing up to gather the scattered articles of his clothing, and then dressed as quickly as he possibly could.

'This is a mistake' he thought to himself as he desperately tugged up his trousers. 'This can't be happening, what the hell happened?'

He wracked his memories as he dressed, trying to come up with something, going over his most recent memories as he struggled to figure out what had triggered the… events, that had him so distressed.

Tsukune remembered the conversation he had with Ria, he remembered the fury her words incited in him. He had thought he found a new side to her, especially after the events after his meeting Lord Akashiya, but she truly turned out to be just as twisted as she ever was. Tsukune vividly remembered what happened next.

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Tsukune lunged at the woman before him, knocking over the chess game as he closed the short distance between himself and his target. Ria lifted a leg and caught him in the midsection, sending him across the room and into the solid stone wall.

He saw her rise from the chair as he staggered to his feet. Ria was as strong as she ever was, with the smallest of efforts she made her superiority known in the first moments of the fight.

Despite his intense rage, some calm part of him knew that he wouldn't be able to take on someone like Ria in a straight fight. He had to seize whatever advantage he could. So he grabbed a nearby wooden chair and chucked it as hard as he could at the Vampire standing before him.

Tsukune closed the distance as Ria stepped out of the chair's way, the wooden projectile providing just enough distraction for him to close the distance and strike in that barest moment when she wasn't on her guard. His punch connected with her stomach, forcing her to take a step back, unsteadying her just a bit. That was long enough for Tsukune to nail her with an uppercut straight to the jaw that sent her to the floor.

He knew it wasn't enough, he had hit her just as hard in their last confrontation and it had barely ruffled her hair. If he actually wanted to win he had to give it everything he had. So he jumped on his downed opponent, determined to capitalize on the moment of weakness he had opened.

It was when he closed to grapple with her that things started going south.

Tsukune's intention was to strangle her. It was something he learned from Moka, after everything was said and done and they were living together in peace. She was trying to give him a way to fight back in case Ria decided to interfere again, or any other Vampire for that matter. It didn't matter how strong you were, even Vampires need air to breathe. If you cannot breathe, Vampire, Werewolf, Orc, Goblin, or whatever else you might be, if you can't breathe then you're going down. It's not a matter of strength or force of will, if you need air but can't get it, it's the end of the line.

He straddled the downed woman, his hands going straight for her slender neck with to intent to choke her unconscious. But it was quickly made clear that Ria wouldn't go down that easily. Her hands darted to his wrists and in seconds he went from being on top and in control to being on the bottom and helpless. She was older, stronger, and had much more experience in close fighting. It was hardly a challenge for her to pin him.

It was after that where things started to get hazy.

Tsukune remembered Ria holding both of his wrists together in one hand, held behind his back as she pressed herself close to him, effortlessly tearing his shirt open before she laid gentle, sweet kisses on his chest and throat. And each contact of her lips upon his skin sent bolts of electricity up his spine. She looked him in the eyes with a gaze so scorching he wasn't sure what to do, but he definitely knew what he _wanted_ to do.

Ria, lying atop him, her eyes smoldering and that sinful smile on her lips, her strength and beauty more than apparent. The urges that he had been fighting all day came back to him then, like an avalanche of hungry and desperate need.

And this time, Tsukune wasn't able to control himself.

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Tsukune finally recovered his clothing, save for the shredded remains of his shirt, and made as little sound as possible as he moved toward the door. The last thing he wanted was to be there when Ria woke up. Things were bad enough as is, and Tsukune had no intention of letting Ria make things any worse before he got a chance to sort everything out.

Luckily, the older Vampire didn't seem to find the stone floor as uncomfortable as he did; she continued to sleep soundly as he slipped through the door and into the hallway, closing it gently behind him before he started running down the hall. It didn't matter where he went, as long as he was far away when Ria woke up. He knew he was only delaying the inevitable, but the last thing he wanted at the moment was to talk to her.

Having returned to parts of the Castle that he was somewhat familiar with, it was a simple enough matter to return to his room. Once there, he locked the door behind him and dropped onto the bed, worried and confused as all hell.

'What on earth is going on?' Tsukune didn't know what was going to happen next, knowing Ria it definitely wouldn't be anything he wanted.

Which, now that he thought about it… begged an interesting question in and of itself.

Tsukune asked himself something he hadn't asked since his days in Youkai Academy. 'What DO I want?'

It was something he hadn't considered, at all, for ages. Back at Youkai, he had wanted to get closer to Moka. He had little planned for the future beyond that. Get a decent job, support a family, a normal life. Sure, the fact that he had been turned into a Vampire complicated things a little bit, but overall his entire world had revolved around Moka, getting closer to her, marrying her, and then supporting that marriage had been the goal that drove his actions each day.

Now that it was all torn away from him… what was he supposed to do?

After what Moka did, his sole desire was to separate himself from her. Now that he had done everything he could to see to that, he had to ask himself what he wanted to do next.

Tsukune thought about what others had done, after a divorce. The male typically went on about his business as usual. Tsukune knew that he couldn't do that. Sure, his job at Fairy Tale had a lot of money attached to it, but Tsukune didn't love the work, although he could do it well. The only reason he took the job was that he wasn't comfortable living off the… substantial dowry that Moka's father had offered them. He wanted to care for Moka himself, not living off the money of her father. The job was the next offer her father made, which Tsukune accepted.

Now that he no longer had to care for a family, Tsukune didn't need the Fairy Tale job, he had no reason or desire to live like the average Japanese salary man anymore.

So Tsukune searched through his life, trying to find anything that he really wanted to do with himself. It didn't take him long to realize what should have been obvious to him from the beginning. The mistakes he had made, the hearts he had broken.

Kurumu wasn't able to accept her loss to Moka. The resulting incident ended with Kurumu being banished from Japan by Youkai Academy's Headmaster. Tsukune hadn't seen or spoken to her for almost as long as he had been married to Moka.

Mizore was little better. He could tell her heart was shattered when he last saw her. She hadn't attended the wedding, although her mother Tsurara had come, saying that her daughter was too sick to attend. It was obvious what the real reason for Mizore's absence was. But at the time, Tsukune simply didn't care, he had what he wanted most in his life.

Ruby, as far as he knew, was still working for Headmaster Mikogami. Tsukune knew she didn't want to, but in reality he realized that she had little else. After everything that had happened, what else did Ruby have in her life? As far as Tsukune could tell, not much. Most likely she continued doing the job out of gratitude to Mikogami for taking her in. Tsukune hadn't spoken to her in a long time either.

Yukari took the news the best out of all of them. In fact she was almost ecstatic. Tsukune remembered the little witch who was the Bridesmaid at the wedding. She was a bit glum when they both told her that there weren't going to be any threesomes, but she never seemed to give up hope. Yukari was the only one who sent them letters from time to time, telling them about her experiences in college.

It didn't take Tsukune long to make his decision. Yukari was doing incredibly well, Ruby was most likely doing just fine, but the two that haunted him were undoubtedly Kurumu and Mizore.

'I need to see them' he decided. 'It may be too late, but maybe I can try and set things right.'

It… disgusted him, really, now that he actually thought about it. It disgusted him how little he minded when they were taken out of his life. He was right there at the airfield when Kurumu was all but deported from the country along with her family, but he didn't do anything to stop it from happening. Sure, she was a bit of a nuisance after he married Moka, desperate for him to take her as a mistress, or something, anything other than being left behind. But he had stood by and let Mikogami banish her from her own home because of that? 'How could I possibly call myself her friend after that?'

With Mizore it was even worse. He _saw_ the state she was in, how hurt she was after his final decision, and yet he did hardly anything to comfort her. 'Sorry' didn't really cut it when you just cut out someone's heart. Tsukune's self hatred only grew as he, for the first time since before he left Youkai, thought about the customs of the Snow people, and how things must have gone for Mizore since he last saw her. She would have been forced to take a stranger as a husband, to bear his children. And he had done absolutely nothing for her.

'Of course not' Tsukune thought to himself, 'Why would I give a damn about friends who risked their lives for me at that point? I had my precious Moka-chan, who cares about what happened to those rejects?' Tsukune fought the urge to vomit as he realized exactly the kind of cruelty he had inflicted upon those two, and the realization that he was so callous that he never even considered their circumstances at any point. It was always Moka, he was always so focused on Moka that he never cared about anything else. He gladly called them his friends, but when they were truly at their most hurt, he gave them as little consideration as he gave the dirt.

It made his current situation with Ria seem almost laughable by comparison. Sure, his relationship ended on a bad note, but at least he still had a future, what did Kurumu have? Life as an outcast in some foreign country. And Mizore had the life of a housewife to look forward to, looking after the children of a stranger that she never loved. Tsukune couldn't prevent tears when he realized just how badly he had treated them, how he had dashed their hopes and dreams for his own selfish desires.

For the first time in a long time, Tsukune knew what he wanted to do, knew what he wanted out of life, and he was determined to make it happen.

No matter what, he had to correct his mistakes, he had to make things right with Kurumu and Mizore. If he didn't, then he had done nothing but trample on their hearts, and that guilt would not let him rest, now that he had realized exactly what he had done.

Another thought entered his head: he was currently forbidden from leaving the Castle.

Tsukune considered escaping for a moment. Defying Lord Akashiya's wishes and running off to their sides. But the idea was dismissed almost as quickly as it had arrived. That would never work. Moka's father, enraged, would have Tsukune's human family murdered for that disobedience. To say nothing of whatever punishment the Vampire decided to deal out whenever Tsukune was finally caught. There was even the possibility of Issa seeking retribution against Kurumu and Mizore for inspiring that escape.

No, he was trapped. Tsukune despised having to admit it, but it made his situation no less real. He had to wait until he was free to move as he pleased, which was a problem in and of itself. From what he saw, none of Moka's sisters had much in the way of freedom. Kokoa was detained to the Castle almost always, as far as Tsukune knew. Kahlua never left except when she had a job, and whether that was Kahlua's own will or Issa's command Tsukune did not know. Ria had quite a bit of freedom, but Tsukune rarely saw her free from her obligations to her Father.

'Will that be my fate, after this is over? Buried under duties and obligations to Lord Akashiya?'

Tsukune considered that for a moment, and finally decided that it didn't really matter. All that really changed was a matter of perspective. He had to have Issa's permission to do what he really wanted to do. If that was the case, he had to earn Issa's approval at the earliest opportunity.

'It means I have to be a Vampire.'

Tsukune had never really considered that before, not in any serious light. He had never been forced to do anything bad. But now, things were different.

There were things at stake that Tsukune was not willing to forsake, that he was desperate to reclaim, even if it took him a while to realize what he had lost.

It meant that Tsukune had to live up to the ideals of what Issa believed a Vampire should be, and to help Issa in realizing whatever ambitions he held dear, starting with the celebration that was going to take place.

The thought of killing a stranger, a human, in cold blood suddenly didn't seem that significant. All he had to do was picture Kurumu's tears when she was all but forced onto that plane, or think of the look of shock and pain that marred Mizore's features when she learned of his plans to marry Moka. Before those images, Tsukune drew the strength needed to overcome doubts.

With that said, there were other things to consider. He had to gain Issa's permission to do as he pleased, after he managed that though….

Kurumu was in another country, he didn't even know which one. She could be anywhere in the world. Mizore, he at least knew where to find.

The decision was made.

'The moment I'm free from here, at the very first opportunity, I will find you Mizore, and make things right. I swear it.'

The oath made, in his thoughts if nothing else, Tsukune then had time to consider how to deal with the issues that had to be dealt with before he could set things right with those that he honestly could not say he deserved to call friend.

He had to gain his freedom from Lord Akashiya, whatever it took, no matter what sacrifice he had to make.

And so Tsukune swore to himself that he would do whatever it took in order to make that happen as fast as possible. Even if it meant committing acts he never would have considered otherwise. The newfound guilt that plagued his soul would not let him do anything else.

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With Moka

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Moka didn't know what to do. It truly was as simple as that, she had absolutely no idea about what she could possibly do to recover from this situation. Her chances, which weren't exactly great before, looked horrendous now. Without competition, she may have been able to get Tsukune to forgive her, but with Ria next to him, actively trying to stop her, what chance did she have?

'None' she thought, utterly morose. 'I've never been able to stop Ria from doing whatever it was that she wanted to do, ever. The one who stopped her, when it really mattered, was Tsukune. The one who convinced Father to agree to our relationship was Tsukune, where I was content and prepared to love him in secret. What chance do I possibly have against Ria, when she has all the advantages and Tsukune despises me?' It was a telling moment, in Moka's mind. Yet another reminder of what she so carelessly tossed aside without even realizing what it was she had given up.

After walking in on those two together, Moka wandered the Castle, numbed by shock and overcome with despair. She wasn't sure what to do, and nothing could alleviate the feelings of utter helplessness that threatened to overwhelm her. 'Ria and Tsukune are together… and it's all my fault.' That thought repeated itself constantly in her thoughts, a truth which she simply could not find any means to circumvent.

She thought of going to Kahlua to seek help as she had received earlier, but nothing but more bad news was there to greet her.

Moka found a servant cleaning Kahlua's room. When she asked the maid where Kahlua might be found, she told her that the dusky skinned Vampire had left the Castle, where she had gone and why were both mysteries. Moka couldn't help but be further stunned by the information. Kahlua hardly ever left the Castle on her own, and for her to have left now of all times…. 'She must have left almost immediately after we had our conversation.' Moka realized.

The realization did little good though, even if Lord Akashiya hadn't banned her from leaving the Castle, Moka still had no chance of finding Kahlua.

Moka thought, for a moment, about asking Kokoa for her advice, but the idea was quickly shot down in her own thoughts. She was surprised that her older sister was able to help her earlier, what hope did her younger sister have of helping her overcome Ria of all people? 'Most likely she'd just laugh in my face if I asked her for her help, before challenging me to another fight.'

And so, Moka sat there in a side hallway, her back against the wall, trying desperately to find some solution to the seemingly unanswerable problem that, apparently, grew more complex and unsolvable every hour, every minute that it went unanswered.

After a while, Moka heard something she hadn't heard for a while. That voice in the back of her head whispered into her mind. '**Give me control, let me talk to Tsukune.**'

Outer Moka's response wasn't exactly positive. 'Why should I let YOU take over! It's your fault that we're in this mess to start with, if it wasn't for your idea to go through with that threat than none of this would have happened!'

**And by the same token, if you had refused to go through with it in the end, this situation likewise could have been avoided. We are both at fault. You have attempted to make amends with Tsukune and failed, now give me my chance at making things right between us.**

Moka was taken by surprise, a little. This was the most calm she had heard Inner Moka in quite some time. Ever since the conflict between them and Tsukune began, her Inner Self had been more emotional, demanding, brash, but now she was starting to sound like she did back when they first met Tsukune, more logical and in control of herself.

**Yes. **

For the second time, Moka was surprised. 'She heard me thinking', it had been a long time since her Inner Self was capable of doing that. 'Is it because our personalities had become so separated? Maybe, now that we're of the same mind on so many things, it's easier to communicate now?'

**It's something close to that, Omote. Listen, after Father spoke to us, and Tsukune rejected us, I realized that we've truly made a horrible mistake, and that we need to act now in order to repair the void between us, or else risk losing Tsukune forever. So I took some time, put emotions aside and thought about things logically, putting everything into perspective. I need you to release the Seal and let me talk to Tsukune, directly.**

It made sense, but at the same time the Outer Moka didn't want to relinquish control to her Inner Self. 'How can I be sure that you won't just make things worse? It was going by your suggestions that we ended up in this situation, how can I trust you to make it right?'

**Think about what you're saying. Do you honestly believe that you can make things right on your own? You've tried that already, and we're both aware of the results. What we're doing now isn't working, so we have to change tactics. So, with that said, can you trust me to try something that might actually work? You know me, I have no intention of allowing Tsukune to leave us. Give me this chance to save what we share with Tsukune, before we lose it, both of us.**

Outer Moka wasn't sure what to do, she was genuinely confused. At such a desperate hour, the last thing she wanted to do was relinquish control of herself. The situation was bad enough when she was in control, if things went badly then she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

But by the same token, her Inner Self was right. Things weren't going well, what she had tried so far had not worked, and Outer Moka was rapidly running out of ideas.

So she made the only decision she could possibly make, and gently pulled the Rosario from the chain on her neck.

For the second time in as many days she felt the slightly nauseating sensation as control was switched and words flashed into her mind.

**Thank you, Omote. I promise you that I will make things right.**

And then the moment passed and Moka stood up, her pink hair turned lustrous silver, her green eyes now crimson. Inner Moka took one quick look at her surroundings and immediately set off for Tsukune's room, hoping that he would be there. What she had to say to him couldn't afford to wait.

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A few minutes later, in the Main Hall

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It was inevitable. Although it could not be scientifically proven, it was almost a law of nature that, if there was something which could not be allowed to be delayed, something would happen in order to delay it.

In this case, the delay happened when Moka strode into the Main Hall, her eyes set on the doorway which would take her to the corridor where Tsukune's bedroom could be found.

The delay took the form of Shuzen Kokoa catching sigh of her beloved older sister.

Moka didn't see her as she strode from one hallway, determined to enter another, but she heard Kokoa as she ran toward her from the side with the familiar words on her lips. "Onee-sama, fight meee!"

That was about all the warning Moka received before a hammer smashed into the space she had occupied moments earlier.

Moka covered her eyes as chips of the floor flew everywhere, and she jumped back as that same hammer passed by in a sideways swing that would have struck her in the midsection.

And there was Kokoa, five years older, at the ripe age of seventeen. The girl was grinning from ear to ear as she faced her older sister.

"Onee-sama, it's been too long! I only heard that you were here a few minutes ago, how could you not come see me after we've been apart for so long?"

The girl didn't even bother to mention how she had just tried to strike her sister with enough force to crush stone. It wasn't anything unusual however, she was still Kokoa even after five years passed.

Normally, such an attempt and the ensuing challenge would spark… amusement in Moka, but today was not the best day for things like this. Moka had places to be, and important things to say and she wouldn't allow herself to be distracted or delayed, not even by her sister. If Kokoa wouldn't stand out of her way….

Kokoa didn't seem bothered by Moka's lack of a response, instead she kept right on going. "You have no idea how worried I was, knowing you were out in the human world and not being able to go see you. And then one day that guy comes back here without any kind of warning and slanders you in front of Father. Seriously, he just starts out by claiming that you tried to have the child of a Werewolf and demands that your Bond be broken, who does that guy think he is! You must be here to set things straight, right? It was probably Tsukune who cheated on you, banging one of his floozies from Youkai and now he wants to leave you for one of them? I always told you that he was an idiot Onee-sama, and now it's proven since he wants to actually leave the greatest person in the world. I don't know what you were thinking choosing that kind of an idiot to be you Mate…."

Moka couldn't stand by and listen to it anymore. "Kokoa…."

Her younger sister stopped speaking the moment she heard Moka's voice. "Yes, Onee-sama?"

Moka took a deep breath and finally said "If you don't stop saying bad things about Tsukune, I won't be able to stop myself. Now be a good girl and get out of my way."

Kokoa stood there for a moment, not sure what to do, say, or think. 'I just told her about what that guy said about her right? And she's still defending him? Is she under some kind of spell, is that it? Did he blackmail her? But if he did, with what?' After a moment, Kokoa realized that none of it mattered. 'He's going to leave Onee-sama, she's going to be free from that idiot's clutches and not have to live among humans anymore. If something is forcing her to try and prevent that, there's no way that I can let her do this to herself.'

Without a word, the hammer Kokoa was holding turned itself into a sword, a long, slender blade which she then held up in a guard position in front of her. "Onee-sama, I can't let you go to him. If he wants to leave you, let him, he doesn't know what kind of mistake he's making. For your own good, I won't let you remain in such a horrible situation, with scum like that for a Mate."

Moka's eyes narrowed at Kokoa's words. "I warned you once."

Without another word Moka propelled herself forward, determined to end things quickly so she could, hopefully, repair the damage that had been done to her relationship. Kokoa prepared to strike with her sword, but Moka predicted the move, altering her course to the left of her sister, and then she proceeded to attack Kokoa from the side.

'This always works' Moka thought to herself as she swept a leg up towards the back of Kokoa's head. 'If you attack her from any angle other than the front, her defense becomes negligible at best. Combined with her sub-par skills at hand-to-hand combat this should bring an end to it.'

Moka was in a hurry, irritated and impatient, thus she didn't consider one very important fact. The fact that she had not sparred with Kokoa since before her marriage to Tsukune. This oversight led to Moka's first surprise when Kokoa, in a moment, pivoted to face her.

Kokoa used her right arm to block Moka's kick, taking the blow on her forearm. Before Moka could respond, Kokoa's left arm lashed up, drawing the slender blade of her sword lightly across Moka's midsection.

Moka sprang back, surprised and shocked by her sister. Her speed to react to such a blow, her strength to withstand the strike, the almost reflexive nature of her counterstroke, and her absolute lack of hesitation to strike at the opponent's weakness, all of those were things that Kokoa never had before.

Despite the nature of the conflict between them now, despite the burning line of pain that was across her stomach and the wetness of the blood she could feel flowing from the cut, Moka could not help but smile in the face of the situation, with her sister standing firm before her without fear in her eyes, bloody sword in hand and pointed toward her. 'Kokoa, it's amazing how much you've grown.'

Soon enough the moment passed however, and Moka knew what she had to do. 'I cannot, I will not, let you stand in my way Kokoa.' Her decision made, she wasted no time in closing the distance with her opponent, this time coming at her straight on.

Kokoa however, was confused by this. 'Why is she just rushing towards me, doesn't she know that I'll just cut her up? Fine, today will be the day I defeat you Onee-sama, if you're recovering in a bed then you can't go back to that fool and do something you'll regret later.'

Moka closed in, and Kokoa didn't hesitate, her sword hissed through the air forward in a slash aimed at Moka's side. 'You won't die if I just cut you open like this, you'll live long enough to get you to a doctor, and you'll be safe from yourself. Please forgive me for the pain, Onee-sama.'

But this time it was Kokoa who was surprised.

Kokoa expected her sister to jump back, to abort her attack and seek a different opportunity, assuming she didn't actually take the cut Kokoa tried to deliver.

Instead, Moka reached out and grabbed the blade with one hand and wrenched it forward. Pulled off-balance by the sudden and unexpected maneuver, Kokoa couldn't do much as Moka seized her sword arm and proceeded to slam her into the ground. Moka immediately dived onto her stunned little sister, seizing her hands and bringing the sword up to her throat.

Moka didn't hesitate for an instant, nor did she loosen her grip on Kokoa's hands. While her little sister may have improved, Moka was still the superior in brute strength. Once Kokoa was surprised, she wasn't able to effectively counter. "You lose little sister."

Kokoa wasn't sure what to do. She didn't know her sister would do something like that. 'Where did she learn that, I've never seen her do anything like that before, ever. What do I do now? My hands are pinned….'

There was only one answer, there was nothing she could do. It was over.

The answer… hurt and depressed Kokoa more than she herself had expected it would. 'I trained so long and so hard for my next rematch against Onee-sama, and still it ends in failure.'

When Kokoa remained silent, Moka wasn't really sure how to respond. "Kokoa?"

"Where did you learn this, Onee-sama?"

Moka was taken aback by the question, but it didn't take long to notice the change in her little sister. Defeated, Kokoa seemed more… dejected, her eyes cast down, Moka couldn't help but think that the girl was on the verge of tears, and that her answer would help or hinder.

Not knowing what she was expected to say, she said the only thing she could, the truth. "Do you think Father would actually let me leave on my own without knowing how to defend myself Kokoa? Teaching me how to handle enemies with various weapons was among the first things he taught me. When fighting an opponent with a sword, closing to grappling distance is almost always a necessity. Even if it means an injury, it is acceptable to trade pain for victory."

She immediately realized that what she said was not the correct thing to say.

Kokoa's eyes got more sad, and Moka felt the girl's hands go limp. "Oh" Kokoa whispered.

Moka was bothered by this, how could she not be when her sister was in pain? But that didn't change the fact that she had other things that she needed to do, and time was not on her side.

She slowly got up, off of the younger girl, gently taking the sword from Kokoa's fingers as she did so. Once the blade had turned back into the bat Kokoa kept around, Moka simply said "I'm sorry Kokoa, but I can't spend any more time here playing with you." And then she immediately turned around and headed towards the nearby hall, leaving Kokoa on the ground, alone with her thoughts.

'Father taught her how to do that counter, Father trained Onee-sama how to defeat anyone, no matter what kind of weapon they used. Of course he did, why wouldn't he? It's only natural that he would train her just like he trained Ria and Kahlua when they were young, how else could those three have gotten so strong and so skilled?'

The key point behind Kokoa's sadness lay in a thought that she didn't even think to herself. It had very little, if anything to do with her defeat. The fact that truly agonized Kokoa as she lay there, either unable or unwilling to rise, was a simple one: Akashiya Issa never gave any instruction or training to Kokoa, even though she was now seventeen, more than twice the age her sisters were when he taught them. And she could do naught but do her best to match her sisters, even as she watched them become stronger by leaps and bounds as she struggled to bridge the gap. It was another reminder of how he favored his other three daughters.

'Why does Father not care for me as he does for them?' That question had haunted Kokoa's thoughts since she was young, when she first realized how cold he was to her, and what he gave her sisters, yet denied to Kokoa. But no matter who she asked, she could never find any answers. Even now Kokoa was ignorant of the reason why Issa apparently disfavored her.

This latest defeat was nothing but another example proving her own disfavor, but it did nothing to shed any light on the reason why she was all but a pariah in her own home, nothing ever did.

Once again Kokoa was forced to watch Moka, the only one of her three sisters who actually bothered to spend much time with her when they were young, walk away to chase after a man who was once human, leaving Kokoa alone with her ignorance just as she did five years ago. And once again Kokoa could do nothing but watch helplessly as her sister continued on her self-destructive path.

XXXXXXXXX

Minutes later

XXXXXXXXX

Moka finally stopped in front of the door to Tsukune's room, and for a moment she paused. Anxiety, trepidation, fear, all sorts of emotions and thoughts made themselves known to her as she stood there. Moka despised the very idea of it, but that did not change the fact that she was scared. Scared that she could somehow make things worse, scared of what could happen regardless of the answer she received from Tsukune.

After that moment though, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

She wasn't waiting for long before his response came, a muffled 'come in' from inside the room.

Taking another breath, Moka opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her.

The room was a lot darker than she expected. It wasn't any hindrance to her, but it gave the room a different atmosphere than what she was expecting. It only took her a second to spot Tsukune, lying on the bed, looking straight at her.

"Tsukune…." Moka wasn't entirely sure what to say, now. She had rehearsed what she planned to say again and again inside of her head, but that made it no easier when she came face to face with the actual situation.

The one she so desperately wanted to make amends with let out a sigh. "So now you come to me in your real form. Are you here to reign in your pet Moka? Here to give me more orders? You might as well just go if that's the case; I don't want to hear it anymore."

At least that part of the conversation was the same as what Moka had envisioned. 'Still so angry, unwilling to talk, not even able to believe that things might be able to change for the better. Did I truly do this to you, Tsukune?'

After a moment, Moka finally said "I'm not here to give you orders Tsukune. I'm here to set things right."

A ghost of a smile made its way across Tsukune's face. "Now we both know that's not true. You're here to try and get me to rescind my claims, to get me to lie to your father so you can save your own reputation. At least have the courtesy not to lie to me Moka. We both know you'll never change, so don't try to pretend to in order to get out of a bad situation."

Moka knew it would be hard to get him to talk to her, but this went beyond what she had expected. "Is it really so hard to believe that I cannot change Tsukune? I'm not here to try and save my reputation, I'm here to try and get you to love me again."

Tsukune glanced at her, and couldn't hide his surprise when he saw tears in her eyes. Moka, the real Moka, was crying.

Then she did something that surprised him even more.

She got down on her hands and knees, head bowed to the floor. "Please Tsukune. You know me, you know me better than anyone else alive. You know that I would rather have my fingernails ripped out than beg anyone for anything, but I am _begging you_. I know that I have made mistakes, horrible ones. But please forgive me. I'll do anything, but please, don't leave me alone."

Tsukune sat up on the bed, staring at the woman before him.

He didn't know what to say.

Throughout this entire affair, Tsukune was absolutely certain that Moka would never put anything before her pride. It had been shown time and time again throughout his entire history with her that Moka cared for that above all else. Tsukune believed in that fact like he believed in gravity, an absolute and indisputable fact of the world.

Seeing Moka, the Inner Moka, get down on her hands and knees and beg for forgiveness was something that Tsukune was certain would never happen. Ever

And it made him question numerous things, that feeling he had when Moka hugged him the other day came back full force, a blade of ice in his chest as a cornerstone of his belief was shattered before his eyes.

One of his biggest reasons for not forgiving Moka was his belief that the Inner Moka was unrepentant. That she loved her pride more that she loved him. That she didn't believe she did anything wrong and would have him returned to the same situation they were in before, practically master and servant. It hurt to turn away the Outer Moka, the one who appeared to be truly sorry and genuinely cared for him, but he could not even think of forgiving what had happened as long as the Inner Moka refused to even consider change.

But here she was, the Inner Moka, the real Vampire that the Outer Moka helped conceal. A creature that was mightier than he, not only apologizing but genuinely _begging_ him for his forgiveness. She was utterly throwing away her pride in a desperate attempt to keep him in her life.

As much as Tsukune didn't want to admit it, no matter how much a part of him said to ignore her and make her leave, another ached at seeing Moka in pain, to see her openly crying as she pleaded for his forgiveness. The fact that both Mokas felt so strongly about their mistake resonated with that pain in his chest, and Tsukune wasn't sure what to do.

Part of him longed to go to her, to clutch the silver haired woman to his chest and let her know that everything would be okay, to take her pain away. Another warned him that she was lying, trying to manipulate him, and that he had an obligation to make things right with those he had wronged. How could he hope to correct the mistakes he made with Mizore and Kurumu if he was still in a relationship with the one who so badly betrayed him?

Moka did nothing, she didn't move from where she knelt on the floor, the pain from the cut on her stomach and the pain from her sliced hand making themselves apparent as she waited for Tsukune's response. She despised what she was doing right now, she struggled with this decision ever since it became apparent what Tsukune intended to do. It hurt, like nothing she had ever done before, to openly beg for her actions to be forgiven. But she knew that it would hurt far, far more if the one she cared for left her. So she made her choice, her resolve to do whatever she had to do in order to make things right, and pray that Tsukune still cared for her enough to give her a chance to overcome her error.

Both Moka and Tsukune only had one question in their thoughts, the question whose answer would determine the course of their future together, or apart.

And finally, after what felt to both of them like an eternity, Tsukune finally made his decision.

XXXXXXXXX

Which will be made known in the next chapter.

Yes, I know, I'm horrible, what else is new? I'm just happy to finally get this chapter finished. You have no idea how much I struggled with those last few scenes, editing them again and again to get things just right.

I can only hope that I portrayed the emotions of the characters well enough for this chapter to be worth the wait.

So please, review and let me know what you think. And thank you, everyone, for being so patient.

Until the next update,

Artful Lounger


	8. Chapter 8

To start things off, yes I am alive, and I cannot begin to say how sorry I am to everyone. The fact that this chapter has taken THIS long to write and post is nothing short of appalling. Quite a bit has happened in the last eighteen months, including my hard drive getting completely wiped out not once but three times and forcing me to restart this entire chapter from scratch, on top of re-creating all the business related files that were destroyed at the same time. Sorry but having to recreate so much data takes a lot of time, which I had to manage on top of all of the new work that was being piled on as I rushed to meet certain deadlines. This story took a backseat during all of that insanity.

It was only a short while ago that I truly had my first chance to get back to writing. At least, my first chance in several months since the last time my hard-drive got wiped. In order to make a better attempt at re-creating the chapter for the fourth time, I re-read the story up until now. It had been more than a year since I last read it. I did not like what I saw.

The story was rushed, details were managed in a mediocre manner, mistakes were made, and loads of exposition was shoe-horned in at inopportune moments. There were a lot of things that I did wrong. Among them were the sins of giving too much information on some things too soon, and giving that information in a bad way. I saw a lot of potential go to waste in those seven chapters. Once again I am my own harshest critic, and the review I have given myself leaves little option but to scrap it and start fresh. Unfortunately, I have another problem. Namely, the problem of my motivation.

It is undoubtedly true that I write primarily because I enjoy it. That was why I started writing this. Unfortunately, something happened along the way. Maybe it was frustration after having to completely remake a chapter twice, only to have it get deleted a THIRD time. Maybe it was the loss of momentum caused by a solid eighteen month hiatus, but my muse, as fickle a bitch as there ever was, refuses to see reason in regards to this story. The ideas don't flow so well any more.

It's selfish and horrible, but after so long a wait I will not be continuing this story. I apologize. The only thing I can do is to give the details of what plot I had already worked out at the time, and allow your imaginations to take care of the rest.

My plan was, in chapter eight, for Tsukune to accept Moka's apology and rescind his claim that the Bond should be broken. However, it would be made clear in private that Tsukune would want nothing to do with her for quite some time, and that they would be Mates in name only. He would do his best to make Mizore and Kurumu happy, and Moka would be the one to assist him in doing so by helping him get the permission to do so. Moka believed that if she did this, Tsukune would accept her back one day.

Ria meanwhile would be doing what she could to sabotage the newly repaired relationship between the two. Her immediate plan being to leak security details of the party to a group of individuals who would attack the party, killing several vampires and disrupt the entire thing. This would be done to prevent Tsukune's entrance to proper Vampire society, save him from doing something that would forever close to him the door of living like a human being. And she would make sure that Tsukune knew who was behind the incident and know who helped him retain his humanity. Needless to say the attack itself wouldn't really go anywhere after the initial shock wore off.

Tsukune would travel to the Yuki-onna village with the intent to find Mizore and return her affection after five years of essentially cutting her out of his life. He would find Tsurara and ask to see Mizore, well aware of the possibility that Mizore would already be a married woman and that what he hoped for might be impossible. What he would hear from Tsurara would be both good and bad news. The good news that Mizore was not married, the bad news that she had fled the village with no intention of ever returning. She escaped her marriage vows by apparently being rendered sterile due to an illness and used that to get out of being married off to a stranger. The reality, known only to Tsurara and learned by her only after Mizore left was that Mizore intentionally poisoned herself with the intention of sterilizing herself. Her belief being that if she could not have Tsukune's children then she would bear no children at all. After being shamed in the eyes of her society by virtue of being sterile, she left the village with no intention to return. The real reason she left being that if it became known what she had done to herself that she would be facing criminal charges rather than a bit of social stigma. Tsukune would set out to find her and that was about as far as I had gotten with the idea before all of this nonsense happened.

In regards to Kokoa's backstory and the reason for Issa's hatred, the reason lies in Shuzen Gyokuro, Kokoa's mother. Akashiya Issa had three different women bear him children. Ria's mother was the first, Gyokuro was the second which explains Kahlua and Akasha bore Moka. It was then that Kokoa was born, Kahlua's sister. During a period of disagreement between Issa and Akasha, Gyokuro, who hated Akasha for stealing Issa away from her and wanted Issa to be hers alone, took the opportunity to seduce him. She succeeded. Naturally, she did so with the intention of becoming pregnant and succeeded at that also. This child was Kokoa. With news that he had sired a child with a woman other than her, Akasha broke the bond between herself and Issa almost immediately. Gyokuro got her wish. Unfortunately, while the bond with Akasha was broken, Issa refused to take Gyokuro back into his life. She left Kokoa with him and left, making it clear that he was always welcome with her. To Issa, Kokoa was the child he never wanted, and a living reminder of what he considers one of his greatest mistakes. Hence why he all but despises her and makes it clear that she is not the equal of her sisters and never will be. This is also one of the reasons that Issa reacted as harshly to Moka's transgressions as he did. He saw her making the same mistake he made with Akasha and Gyokuro.

That's about all I had planned. There are plenty of details of course, world details that I would have put to proper use later in the story, but that's all rather beside the point now. I can only hope that all of this exposition has helped ease the feelings of betrayal that I have no doubt caused by all of this. Once again I give my most sincere apologies that things will end this way and I can only hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. I am a slave to my muse, I can only follow blindly wherever she may lead me, and she leads me elsewhere. I only hope that you are still with me when she drags me to her next destination.


End file.
